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Q278836: ADSI GetObject Queries May Fail from ASP but Work from VBScript

Article: Q278836
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): 3.0,4.0,5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 01-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Services version 5.0 
- Microsoft Internet Information Server versions 3.0, 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

If you attempt to use a GetObject query from an Active Server Pages (ASP) page
to list the users in a particular group, the result set may be blank, although
this same query returns data if it is run from Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting
Edition (VBScript) code on the IIS server. Also, queries for groups or other
objects that are run from an ASP page return data.

For example, the following query returns an empty user list:

  Set ADsGroup = GetObject("WinNT://DOMAIN/SomeGroup,Group")
   For Each Member in ADsGroup.members
     response.write Member.name

CAUSE
=====

This problem occurs if all of the following conditions are met:

- The IIS server is not a domain controller.

If the IIS server is a member server of a domain and is not a domain controller,
Microsoft Windows NT GetObject queries must contact a domain controller to
retrieve the requested information.

- The ASP page that makes the query uses the Windows NT Challenge/Response
  authentication method.

If the page that makes the request is authenticated with Windows NT
Challenge/Response, the query from the IIS computer to the domain controller is
made with a NULL, or anonymous, user account because Windows NT
Challenge/Response does not support double-hop impersonation.

- The RestrictAnonymous registry key on the domain controller to be contacted
  is set to 1.

If the RestrictAnonymous registry key is set to 1 on the domain controller, the
query will fail because the query uses a NULL, or anonymous, account.

NOTE: Because the RestrictAnonymous registry key only restricts the listing of
user accounts and shares, other queries, such as Group, succeed. The query also
succeeds if it is run with VBScript because the query is initiated on the IIS
server by a logged in user, so the query can run using the user's credentials.

WORKAROUND
==========

Use any of the following methods to run the query:

- Use Basic or Clear Text as your authentication method. This allows IIS to
  pass the user's credentials to the domain controller.

NOTE: When you use Clear Text as your authentication method, you should also
consider using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to secure the page.

- Move the IIS Web site that makes the query to a domain controller. This
  allows the query to run using the credentials of the user that logged in.

- Disable the RestrictAnonymous registry key on the domain controller.

For additional information on the RestrictAnonymous registry key, click the
article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q143474 Restricting Information Available to Anonymous Logon Users

Additional query words: iis 5

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbiis500 kbiis400 kbiis300
Version           : :3.0,4.0,5.0
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbpending

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