Unable to expand server node in the IIS 7 UI with shared configuration

  • Article

This article talks about one of issues that occur when you use shared configuration on IIS 7. The scenario results when you have made changes in IIS 7 with respect to shared configuration mentioned in the below article: https://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/264/shared-configuration/ and during the course of time, the user information(the password information) has been changed on the web server for the user account that has been used in the above-said configuration. 

Symptoms:

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Unable to start FTP, WWW, WAS services. Unable to expand server node in the IIS manager.

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Failed to connect

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There was an error when trying to connect. Do you want to retype your credentials and try again?

Details: Filename:\\?\C:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework64\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\machine.config

Error:

Cause:

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Ran 'appcmd list sites' command from an elevated prompt.

ERROR ( message: Configuration error

Filename: \\?\C:\Windows\system32\inetsrv\config\redirection.config

Line Number: 13

Description: Cannot log on locally to \\somesharedpath\\sharedfolder  as user DOMAIN\Username with redirection.config password

. )

This error occurs when the password stored for the shared configuration is not correct.

Resolution:

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Opened the file redirection.config from C:\windows\system32\inetsrv\config

You will see a node like:

<configurationRedirection enabled=”true” path=”<path to shared config>” userName=”username″ password=”[enc:IISRsaProvider:57686f6120447564652c2049495320526f636b73:enc]” />

This node enables the shared configuration with the credentials to use.

Now, you have two choices,

Choice 1: You do not have a requirement to use shared configuration. To disable sharedconfiguration,change the node from:

<configurationRedirection enabled=”true” path=”<path to shared config>” userName=”username″ password=”[enc:IISRsaProvider:57686f6120447564652c2049495320526f636b73:enc]” />

to

<configurationRedirection/>

After making the change, the configuration will look like

 
<configuration>

            <configSections>
                         <section name=”configurationRedirection” />
           </configSections>

<configProtectedData>
           <providers>
                         <add name=”IISRsaProvider” type=”" description=”Uses RsaCryptoServiceProvider to encrypt and decrypt” keyContainerName=”iisConfigurationKey” cspProviderName=”" useMachineContainer=”true”  useOAEP=”false” />
           </providers>
</configProtectedData>

<configurationRedirection />

</configuration>

Restart IIS.

Choice 2: You require shared configuration on your web server. In this case, the easiest way to resolve it is to follow the choice 1(above) and setup the shared configuration from the article:

https://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/264/shared-configuration/ using the the user account with the correct set of username and passowrd information.

Restart IIS.