Question about VB.Net connecting to a webserver

[André Nogueira]

Hi there guys!
I have one question... I'm doing a simple program in VB.Net 2003 that can
store my personal notes, my IE favourites, some pictures, etc.
I will also make an ASP.Net site (also in VB) that holds this information,
so I can access it from anywhere.
Now what would be cool was to make my program connect to the website, and
syncronize with it!
While this will be a "hobby project", I'd like to learn more about security
and "real world programming", so users will have to be registered at the
site. So, my question is...

What is the best way to transmit information and files between the webserver
and my application, while ensuring the information is secure?

Thanks in advance!

--
André Nogueira
Portugal

[John Timney \(ASP.NET MVP\)]

The easiest way to secure "data" is to use a server certificate so your
transmitting data over https and building that into your client, however I
think your more likely asking about securing your web site via access
controls rather than securing the transmission of data. These are different
things entirely and to understand security you should really learn how the
web server works at a security level.

Theres a long read here that tells you all you need to know about securing
asp.net applications.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...haspdotnet.asp

and a little something about https ....
http://www.ourshop.com/resources/ssl.html

....and a simple forms example of posting data to a web server
http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2004_04...ne/columns/qa/

While your reading, look up the concept of remoting.....

Hope that helps!

--
Regards

John Timney
ASP.NET MVP
Microsoft Regional Director

"André Nogueira" <an**@netcabo.pt.NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:uN**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Hi there guys!
I have one question... I'm doing a simple program in VB.Net 2003 that can
store my personal notes, my IE favourites, some pictures, etc.
I will also make an ASP.Net site (also in VB) that holds this information,
so I can access it from anywhere.
Now what would be cool was to make my program connect to the website, and
syncronize with it!
While this will be a "hobby project", I'd like to learn more about
security and "real world programming", so users will have to be registered
at the site. So, my question is...

What is the best way to transmit information and files between the
webserver and my application, while ensuring the information is secure?

Thanks in advance!

--
André Nogueira
Portugal

[André Nogueira]

Thanks for links! I'll read it all =)
But one thing.. disregarding security, what would be the best way to
transfer info between the client and the server?
A webservice? An ASP.Net page that the client accesses without the user ever
seeing it?

Thanks!

André Nogueira
"John Timney (ASP.NET MVP)" <ti*****@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:Ol**************@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

The easiest way to secure "data" is to use a server certificate so your
transmitting data over https and building that into your client, however I
think your more likely asking about securing your web site via access
controls rather than securing the transmission of data. These are
different things entirely and to understand security you should really
learn how the web server works at a security level.

Theres a long read here that tells you all you need to know about securing
asp.net applications.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...haspdotnet.asp

and a little something about https ....
http://www.ourshop.com/resources/ssl.html

...and a simple forms example of posting data to a web server
http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2004_04...ne/columns/qa/

While your reading, look up the concept of remoting.....

Hope that helps!

--
Regards

John Timney
ASP.NET MVP
Microsoft Regional Director

"André Nogueira" <an**@netcabo.pt.NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:uN**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Hi there guys!
I have one question... I'm doing a simple program in VB.Net 2003 that can
store my personal notes, my IE favourites, some pictures, etc.
I will also make an ASP.Net site (also in VB) that holds this
information, so I can access it from anywhere.
Now what would be cool was to make my program connect to the website, and
syncronize with it!
While this will be a "hobby project", I'd like to learn more about
security and "real world programming", so users will have to be
registered at the site. So, my question is...

What is the best way to transmit information and files between the
webserver and my application, while ensuring the information is secure?

Thanks in advance!

--
André Nogueira
Portugal

[André Nogueira]

BTW, I'm talking about *retrieving* the files, as you gave me a page about
*sending* them...

Thanks!

André Nogueira

"André Nogueira" <an**@netcabo.pt.NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:Of**************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

Thanks for links! I'll read it all =)
But one thing.. disregarding security, what would be the best way to
transfer info between the client and the server?
A webservice? An ASP.Net page that the client accesses without the user
ever seeing it?

Thanks!

André Nogueira
"John Timney (ASP.NET MVP)" <ti*****@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:Ol**************@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

The easiest way to secure "data" is to use a server certificate so your
transmitting data over https and building that into your client, however
I think your more likely asking about securing your web site via access
controls rather than securing the transmission of data. These are
different things entirely and to understand security you should really
learn how the web server works at a security level.

Theres a long read here that tells you all you need to know about
securing asp.net applications.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...haspdotnet.asp

and a little something about https ....
http://www.ourshop.com/resources/ssl.html

...and a simple forms example of posting data to a web server
http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2004_04...ne/columns/qa/

While your reading, look up the concept of remoting.....

Hope that helps!

--
Regards

John Timney
ASP.NET MVP
Microsoft Regional Director

"André Nogueira" <an**@netcabo.pt.NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:uN**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Hi there guys!
I have one question... I'm doing a simple program in VB.Net 2003 that
can store my personal notes, my IE favourites, some pictures, etc.
I will also make an ASP.Net site (also in VB) that holds this
information, so I can access it from anywhere.
Now what would be cool was to make my program connect to the website,
and syncronize with it!
While this will be a "hobby project", I'd like to learn more about
security and "real world programming", so users will have to be
registered at the site. So, my question is...

What is the best way to transmit information and files between the
webserver and my application, while ensuring the information is secure?

Thanks in advance!

--
André Nogueira
Portugal

[stand__sure]

If you are using the FTP approach mentioned above, you can use
FtpGetFileA/FtpGetFileW

as John Timney suggests you would benefit from reading on remoting --
grab any 70-310 book and read the chapter (actually read the whole
thing -- it'll be good for you)

also, .NET v2 will have the functionality that you need... The
FtpMethods class has UploadFile and DownloadFile methods (among others)

[Cor Ligthert]

Andre,

- Webpage is a complete application, that interacts with (a) webserver(s)
- Webservice is an application that gets and supplies data from (a)
webserver(s) (by instance to a windowsforms application)

See this link to a very nice walkthrough.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...alkthrough.asp

I hope this helps a little bit?

Cor