How to: Enable the Internet Service for Remote Access

  • Article

For the database administrator, this topic explains how to enable the Internet service to enable remote access to a database. This capability is only available to the SourceSafe Internet plug-in for Visual Studio and must be enabled per database for all users requiring remote access. When you have enabled the Internet service, each user requiring remote database access will see a Web entry in the database list next to a particular project or solution that has been placed under source control.

Warning

Before enabling remote access, you must secure your database. For more information, see Securing a Database.

To enable the Internet service:

  1. Login to the Web server computer using an account with administrator privileges.

  2. Run Visual SourceSafe Administrator on the Web server computer.

  3. Optional: If remote access is enabled for the database in addition to the server, the database should be opened from the local computer using the UNC path.

  4. In Visual SourceSafe Administrator, on the File menu, click Open SourceSafe Database.

  5. Open the database for which you want to enable remote access. Use the UNC path that users use to access the database to preserve the share security restrictions.

  6. IIS is required to run the Internet service. Ensure that it is installed. For more information, see How to: Enable Internet Information Services (IIS).

  7. On the Server menu, click Configure.

  8. In the Server Configuration dialog box, click the SourceSafe Internet tab.

  9. Select the Enable SourceSafe Internet for this computer check box. This selection enables the Internet service for the server machine.

  10. Optional: Select the Enable SourceSafe Internet for this database to allow remote access to the database you have specified. This is necessary if step 3 is implemented.

  11. You can optionally require secure communication using SSL, as described in How to: Set Up Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Use of SSL is strongly recommended.

  12. In the Web Server Name box, specify the name of the Web server. You can enter either a DNS name or an IP address.

    Security noteSecurity Note

    If you are using SSL, you must enter the server name exactly as shown on the server certificate.

  13. Click OK to apply your settings.

  14. Repeat this procedure, if necessary, for any other databases.

  15. Notify any users of the SourceSafe Internet plug-in in Visual Studio that the service is enabled and they can begin work. For more information, see Using Visual SourceSafe in Microsoft Visual Studio.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Enable Internet Information Services (IIS)
How to: Set Up Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

Reference

Server Configuration Dialog Box, SourceSafe Internet Tab (Administrator)

Concepts

Using Visual SourceSafe in Microsoft Visual Studio