application pool identity change

Question

I've got a web method set up on SERVER A and need to connect to the file system on SERVER B.

Currently I have a wide array of web services that already run on SERVER A where the identity on the application pool is set to NETWORK SERVICE. The issue is that I cannot seem to give the NETWORK SERVICE on A access to the file system on B. Changing the user on the app pool isn't really an option as there are too many possible train wrecks that could materialize on the outgoing web service calls.

So the solution I am trying to come up with is temporarily changing the Web Method identity user from NETWORK SERVICE to DOMAIN/SOMEUSER when the web method is called.

The property I need to change is System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name

Can anyone tell me how I can go about doing this? Many of the solutions online seem to refer to Windows Azure - which I'm not using, so the approaches outlined don't work.

Thanks!

Answer 1

You might have to play with the tag in the web.config. Our is normally set to <identity impersonate="false" /> and the application pool uses a domain user for permissions.

Answer 2

Try using impersonate in your service.

<system.web> ....
<identity impersonate="true" userName="accountname" password="password" />