SQL Connection Type

The K2.net 2003 server can use the following authentication methods:

SQL Authentication:
In a scenario where SQL Authentication was selected during the installation you will find that the actual account is stored in clear text in the various configuration files. Workspace will use this account to open a connection to the database regardless of the user account under which Workspace is running (Note that Workspace is running under integrated auth in IIS, which is a requirement and can at no time be altered). The SQL Authentication account is stored in the "<drive>:Program FilesK2.net 2003K2WSWorkspaceServiceWeb.config":

<appSettings> 
  <add key="DSN" value="Data Source=(local); initial catalog=K2Log; User ID=sa;Password=password" /> 
</appSettings> 

Windows Authentication:
In a scenario where Windows Authentication was selected during the installation you will find that no account is stored in the various configuration files. Workspace is running under integrated authentication in IIS. Therefore, once a user opens Workspace, Workspace will run as the user logged onto the client computer and the actual connection to the SQL Server database will be opened as the account that Workspace is running under. This is not ideal as you will have to give every user making use of Workspace the necessary rights on the K2Log database. You can change the following configuration in such a way that you use a dedicated account for Workspace without having to expose any user account in the configuration file by doing the following.
1) Create a dedicated application pool in IIS.
2) Change the Identity of the application pool to run as a Windows account.
3) Change the WorkspaceService Site application pool to the newly created application pool (Restart IIS).
4) Give the Windows account used in the application pool the necessary rights on the K2Log database.
5) Open the following configuration file in notepad "<drive>:Program FilesK2.net 2003K2WSWorkspaceServiceWeb.config".
6) Locate and remove the following section:
<authentication mode="Windows" />
7) Make sure that the appSettings section is similar to the example below:

<appSettings> 
  <add key="DSN" value="Data Source=(local); initial catalog=K2Log; Integrated Security=SSPI"/> 
</appSettings> 

Custom Applications:

Any custom applications (Windows or Web) designed for workflow processes make use of the K2ROM.dll to access K2.net 2003 Server. Under no circumstances should any custom application have access to any one of the K2.net 2003 databases. It is advised that any K2.net functionality required in custom applications be exposed by the available K2 Objects (K2ROM, K2MNG).

K2.net 2003 Server is the only component accessing the K2 Transaction and Log databases directly (Insert, Update, Delete and Execute). The credentials used in the connection between K2.net 2003 Server and the transaction and log database depends on the authentication mode selected during the installation:

SQL Authentication:
In a scenario where SQL Authentication was selected during the installation you will find that the actual account is stored in clear text in the various configuration files. This account will be used at all times by K2.net 2003 Server to access the respective databases. The SQL Authentication account for K2.net 2003 Server is stored in the "<drive>:Program FilesK2.net 2003inK2Server.config" file:

<Database ConnectionString="server=(local);database=K2;uid=sa;pwd=;pooling=true;enlist=false; Min Pool Size=5" /> 
<LogDatabase ConnectionString="server=(local);database=K2Log;uid=sa;pwd=;pooling=true;enlist=false; Min Pool Size=20" />  

Windows Authentication:
In a scenario where Windows Authentication was selected during the installation you will find that no account is stored in the various configuration files. K2.net 2003 Server Service runs as a Windows Service on the machine. The account used by the Service on startup needs to have the necessary rights on the databases, as this is the account used during all connections made to the respective databases. Below an example of the connection information stored in the "<drive>:Program FilesK2.net 2003inK2Server.config" file:

<Database ConnectionString="server=SQLServer ;database=K2;Integrated Security=SSPI;pooling=true;enlist=false; Min Pool Size=5" /> 
<LogDatabase ConnectionString="server=SQLServer;database=K2Log;Integrated Security=SSPI;pooling=true; enlist=false;Min Pool Size=5" />  

Important:
After changing or updating the configuration settings in the Configuration file, restart the K2.net 2003 Server for these changes to take effect.

For more information please have a look at the following K2.net Knowledge Base article:
http://kb.k2workflow.com/articles/kb000074.aspx

Richard,

.NET Provider connection.

Cheers,
Ockert

Thank you both for the responses. Just what I needed.

Richard