Walkthrough: Validating an Application System for Deployment 

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This scenario builds on that developed in Walkthrough: Applying Constraints to a Logical Datacenter. In this scenario, you will bind applications within your system to the logical datacenter and then validate to see whether this system could successfully deploy in that datacenter.

Prior to starting this walkthrough, it is important to have some basic knowledge of the Logical Datacenter Designer. Additionally, it is also important to know how the Logical Datacenter Designer works in association with the other Distributed System Designers. For more information, see Overview of Logical Datacenter Designer and Workflow Across Distributed System Designers.

To create a deployment diagram

  1. Open the Catalog.sln solution file you finished creating in Walkthrough: Applying Constraints to a Logical Datacenter.

    A sample that demonstrates the outcome of this walkthrough is available on the Microsoft Download Center at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=40867.

  2. Right-click WebClientSystem.sd in Solution Explorer and choose Open.

    The diagram opens in System Designer.

  3. In System Designer, select WebClientSystem and choose Define Deployment from the Diagram menu.

    The Define Deployment dialog box appears. This dialog box allows you to specify the logical datacenter diagram for which you want to create a deployment definition. Because eCommerceDatacenter.ldd is the only logical datacenter diagram in your solution, it is automatically selected.

  4. Click OK.

    A new deployment diagram is created in the solution and opened in Deployment Designer.

  5. Using System View as a drag source, drag SalesWebClient onto the HardenedIIS Web server.

  6. From System View, drag Catalog onto the ApplicationServer.

    The Binding Details dialog box appears.

  7. Use the Binding Details dialog box to bind CatalogWebService to the appropriate Web site host. In this case, bind CatalogWebService to SecureApplicationsWebSite.

    Because these Web services are contained on the same Web application, they both have to be bound to the same Web site.

  8. Click OK

  9. From System View, drag CatalogDB onto Catalogs.

    Note

    An external database connection is not provided in the solution file loaded from the sample available on the Microsoft Download Center at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=40867.

All of your applications are now bound to the appropriate logical server hosts. At this point, it is time to validate your proposed deployment definition to determine whether any conflicts exist between application settings and logical server constraints.

To validate a deployment definition

  • Right-click the deployment diagram and choose Validate Diagram.

    Deployment Designer validates the settings and constraints specified in the System Definition Model (.sdm) file for the system against those specified in the .sdm file for the target logical datacenter modeled in eCommerceDatacenter.ldd. Any validation warnings that occur are displayed in the Error List. For more information about .sdm files, see Overview of the System Definition Model (SDM).

    In this scenario, the following validation warnings occur:

    • "The constraint parameter 'Allowed Security Modes' requires that the setting 'Mode' be set to 'Forms', but it is currently set to 'Windows'."

    • "The constraint parameter 'Requires Impersonation' requires that the setting 'Impersonate' be set to 'True', but it is currently set to 'False'."

Now it is time to fix this warning using the following procedure.

To fix validation warnings

  1. Right-click the first warning (Allowed Security Modes), choose Go To, and then choose Mode Setting on Catalog (CatalogServiceSystem).

    This action displays the appropriate conflicting setting on the application in the Settings and Constraints Editor and in the context of the application's use in the CatalogServiceSystem in System Designer. An error symbol is displayed on the Catalog application, indicating the presence of an error.

  2. In the Settings and Constraints Editor, change "Windows" authentication to "Forms" authentication for the Mode setting.

  3. Now return to Deployment Designer and double-click the second warning. This again navigates you to the setting on Catalog in CatalogServiceSystem that needs to be modified.

  4. In the Settings and Constraints Editor, change "Impersonate" to "True."

  5. Now return to Deployment Designer, right-click the diagram and choose Clear Validation Messages.

    This action is not required before re-validating, but you can use it to clear validation errors and warnings from the Error List, as needed.

  6. Right-click the deployment diagram and choose Validate Diagram.

    The following validation warnings appear in Error List:

    • "The Application Catalog asp.net configuration settings and the IIS Web Application settings are incompatible. The asp.net configuration is currently set to Forms and the WebApplication authflags are not configured to support Anonymous."

    • "The constraint AspNetFormsSecurityConstraint cannot be evaluated as it requires the FormsAuthenticationCredentials resource to exist under the FormsAuthenticationConfiguration resource."

    These warnings occur because setting requirements specified for applications hosted on ApplicationServer conflict with the actual settings of Catalog, the hosted application.

  7. Fix these remaining warnings. You will need to fix the first warning on the ApplicationServer and the second warning on Catalog.

See Also

Other Resources

Constraining Application and Application Hosting Relationships