将网站文件夹之外的网络文件夹映射到网站？

Question

I am looking for an easy way to map some pictures on a server outside of the web folder HIERARCHY. The web server DOES have use of the other server.

In this case (like so many business) there are other applications that create +_maintain these pictures. Thus like most business over the years that adopted personal computers, they over time start to pile up applications and systems that create documents which ultimately reside on one of their servers.

So every dog, beetle and living business and thus web developer MUST HAVE at one point in time had to deal with the above super common request of allowing the web site to utilize some folders on the network. And this simply means the requirement to use these files from the web site. And it is unlikely or even practical that all other business process that create these files should have to change their current folder(s) they been using for years and years that reside on that server.

Now that the world is moving towards the web does anyone have a common solution to the above?

It would seem to me the no brain solution dead in the water solution would be if we could simply to map these network folders to the web site. At that point then it simple code to stuff into an image controls the folder path name. Of course right now such folders outside of the web folder hierarchy are not available to HTTP requests, but certainly can be shared to the web server.

Is there a "common" solution and approach to map such folders to the web site? Some have suggested that you trap the http requests and write custom code to trap such error but that seems to boarder on galactic stupidity. (that like starting a fire by rubbing sticks when you have a working lighter in your pocket!).

So do I have to write (at CPU cost) code to reads in such files as a file streams?

I see some hints that I can "may" be able to provide additional directory's in the web config, so this would be my first choice.

This environment is asp.net, vb.net and IIS (hosted on our own server which is why it has UNC use of those other servers where those images reside).

So is there a super common solution to this super common problem?

Is there some way, even at OS level to map such folders into to the web site hierarchy or will one have to resort to writing code and using file streams?

Best regards

Answer 1

As kaveman pointed out in the comments - a Virtual Directory in IIS will allow you to map a folder on the website to a network share. The only complicated bit here is permissions - whoever the application is running as will need access to the network share or you can configure IIS to connect as a particular user for the virtual directory.

I believe if you are using windows authentication then permissions can actually be configured based on the logged in user, though I haven't used that method (I've usually used this as a means to limit disk usage on a single web server or more often to share a single source of files across several web servers/applications, always using non-windows based accounts and/or anonymously available).

The alternative you mentioned also works - Writing code to handle requests that retrieves the files and serves them up. I've used this method to get a little more control over permissions and logging and such inside a custom app, but as you said, this means you are using some CPU/memory for each request.