Cannot set different autentication Basic Authentication for the ManageSoftRL and Anonymous Authentication for the ManageSoftDL on the Beacon

[#1]

Summary

The document suggests that the customer can configure the Basic Authentication for the ManageSoftRL and the Anonymous Authentication for the ManageSoftDL with IIS on the Beacon server. However, if the authentication of ManageSoftRL is set to use the Basic Authentication via IIS Manager, then the ManageSoftDL is also updated to use the Basic Authentication.

Symptoms

The Configuring Direct Inventory Gathering page of the help describes the following. It suggests that the customer can configure the Basic Authentication for the ManageSoftRL and the Anonymous Authentication for the ManageSoftDL with IIS on the Beacon server. However, if the authentication of ManageSoftRL is set to use the Basic Authentication via IIS Manager, then the ManageSoftDL is also updated to use the Basic Authentication.

Decide whether this inventory beacon should act as a fail-over location where managed devices (while unable to access their normal inventory beacons) can download updated configuration information.

• Yes: The inventory beacon must use anonymous authentication (because inventory beacons with other authentication settings are excluded from the list of fail-over locations distributed to installed inventory agents). To achieve anonymous authentication, ensure that the checkbox Use Basic Authentication remains clear (not selected).
• No: You may select the checkbox Use Basic Authentication (and remember to provide credentials below). After saving your settings in the inventory beacon interface, you must use the configuration pages for IIS to do the following:
  • Set Basic Authentication for the ManageSoftRL (reporting location, for uploads)
  • Set Anonymous Authentication for the ManageSoftDL (download location). This allows installed inventory agents that are locked to this inventory beacon to receive changes like new passwords, while all uploads use Basic Authentication set for the ManageSoftRL.

If you set this checkbox in the inventory beacon interface when you click Save an alert appears to remind you that the inventory beacon is not setting up the account, but merely communicating the credentials to managed devices: Please manually ensure that the specified account has permissions for IIS.

Cause

Both the ManageSoftRL and the ManageSoftDL are linked to the same directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\Inventory Beacon\DotNet" on the Beacon server. Both use the same web.config file. Therefore, if the authentication of ManageSoftRL is updated, ManageSoftDL uses the updated authentication configuration.

Workaround

If the environment is On-Premise and Inventory Beacon can be installed on the FlexNet Manager Suite application server, it can be configured different authentication on ManageSoftRL and ManageSoftDL.

Additional Information

This issue has been identified as document bug #FNMS-40343.