Cached credentials for RCC - still wishing

terje · Post by **terje** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:37 pm

Back in September I asked about the possibility for RCC to cache the login credentials. Currently it only caches the user id not the password. And it does not cache the user id correctly on terminal server.

http://www.ks-soft.net/cgi-bin/phpBB/vi ... highlight=

We use RCC on a terminal server and we want everybody logged onto hostmonitor every time they are logged onto the terminal server. However the fact that our users are in and out of terminal server several times a day (they move around a lot) and the fact that RCC requires them to re-enter the userid and password each time means that many of these users get complacent and then only log onto RCC when they really need to know something. This lowers our level of proactive monitoring.

Further more they also need to re-enter their user id in RCC each time because on terminal server RCC does not cache this separately for each user profile. When you start RCC it presents you with the user ID of the last person to use RCC from that terminal server, which may not be you.

Ideally we would like both the USERID and PASSWORD cached for RCC and cached correctly so that terminal server users can each have separate RCC logons and it can be automatic.

I know that this was put on the development list as low priority (see link above) however I am keen to know what timeframe this might mean. For us at the moment it is the biggest problem with the software.

I don't see cached credentials as being a security compromise because if it is cached within your windows user profile then it is secure by virtue of your windows user profile being secure.

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:35 pm

And it does not cache the user id correctly on terminal server. http://www.ks-soft.net/cgi-bin/phpBB/vi ... highlight=

I don't see anything "incorrect" there. Yes, RCC does not remember password.

many of these users get complacent and then only log onto RCC when they really need to know something. This lowers our level of proactive monitoring

Strange

Nobody has duties in your company?? People come and people go, nobody cares about systems? What if some system crashes? Have you configured HostMonitor to send alerts to some responsible person?

Ideally we would like both the USERID and PASSWORD cached for RCC and cached correctly so that terminal server users can each have separate RCC logons and it can be automatic.

I have added this task into "to do" list. Low priority - sorry we have more important tasks.

Regards
Alex

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:48 pm

Ok, your request has been implemented. Update available at www.ks-soft.net/download/rcc111.zip
You may use 2 command line parameters:
-uniqueprofiles
-storepassword
E.g. >rcc.exe -uniqueprofiles -storepassword
Please note "-storepassword" parameter doesn't work if you have not specified "-uniqueprofiles" parameter as well.

Passwords stored in the registry, so user with admin privileges will be able to read passwords of all users.

But I stil do not understand how it can help. If your admins too lazy to type the password, they are too lazy to fix network/server problems.

Regards
Alex

terje · Post by **terje** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:51 pm

Okay that works great if you are the administrator of the terminal server.

Otherwise nothing at all gets cached (not even the host name).

I suspect that its a registry key permission issue. Can you indicate the registry keys concerned.

Otherwise it seems like a backward step.

terje · Post by **terje** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:00 pm

Have you configured HostMonitor to send alerts to some responsible person?

Yes and mostly this works because Outlook does not require them to logon. I would rather keep network alerts and email separate. So if Hostmonitor does not need a logon then people will open it all the time (via a startup shortcut) and I will turn off the email alerts entirely.

For serious alerts we escalate to SMS or pager.

terje · Post by **terje** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:11 pm

Okay the relevant registry key seems to be:-

HKCU\Software\KS-Soft\RCC\LastConnection

This worked when I ran RCC under the adminstrators profile.

However when I subsequently used RCC under other profiles REGMON indicates that KS-Soft gets a message that the above key is "NOT FOUND".

Perhaps there is some logic problem in terms of when the key should be created.

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:58 pm

Normally "Administrator", "Power Users" and even "Users" groups have rights to modify registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER. That's why RCC works fine on our systems.
Why it doesn't work on yours? I don't know, check permissions.

Regards
Alex

terje · Post by **terje** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:39 pm

On further investigation I find that the registry keys are being updated correctly. If I log in to RCC as a different user then the registry keys are updated with the details for that new user.

However RCC still does not start with the creditials entered. They are all blank each time it starts.

I have checked the permissions on the relevent registry keys for the relevant AD user and they are set at "FULL CONTROL".

Mysterious.

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:01 pm

Do you use "rcc.exe -uniqueprofiles -storepassword" command line every time you start RCC?

Regards
Alex

terje · Post by **terje** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:39 pm

The shortcut target I am using is:-

"C:\Program Files\Hostmonitor5\RCC.EXE" -uniqueprofiles -storepassword

Where the path is the location on the terminal server that I have copied RCC.EXE to.

If I leave off the "-uniqueprofiles -storepassword" command switches then the system correctly shows the last login user id and the correct host id. I believe that in this instance it retrieves them from RCC.ini in the same path as above.

I have tried using a command line rather than a shortcut and I still get the same problem. Then I tried changing to the directory where RCC is stored and executing it without the full path name or inverted commas and it still has the same problem.

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:05 pm

I have tested RCC on Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows 2003 SP1 - works fine. What system do you use?

However RCC still does not start with the creditials entered. They are all blank each time it starts.

Blank fields possible only in 1 case - RCC opened registry key but could not read any value. Could you start it on another system?

Regards
Alex

terje · Post by **terje** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:23 pm

We are running Windows 2003 Server with SP1. It is set up as a terminal server.

RCC seems to work on other machines.

It does not seem to be a registry permission issue because I can from the users profile open the relevant registry keys and manually change the values (eg the password or userid).

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:45 pm

We have checked our code again. Everything is correct. RCC tries to read data from the registry. If registry key does not exists or inaccessible, RCC reads ini file. Otherwise it uses values retrieved from the registry.
I don't know what is wrong, but its a problem with your system.

Regards
Alex

ab042 · Post by **ab042** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 1:13 am

Alex:

THANK YOU for the update to store username and password. Now could you have it AUTO START the RCC application and not stop at the screen and require input.

If the system is remembering the username and password I don't need it to stop and require any input from the user. If they click the icon START the app PLEASE.................

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:23 pm

Oh guys, you are so lazy

You need to make single mouse click to connect applications.
Ok, I have added your request. May be next version

Regards
Alex