Help - Browsing a Website or Web Application URL

Browsing a Website or Web Application URL

Scenario: You want to launch and work with Web/WindowsApp clients on server with either a local or remote web server (IIS). You can launch the Web/WindowsApp clients by browsing the website or Web Application URL in the Windows Internet Explorer 11. You must install the website certificates in the appropriate Windows Certificate store.

NOTE:
Run the Web/WindowsApp Clients with Windows Internet Explorer 11.
Microsoft recommends upgrading and staying up-to-date on the latest Internet Explorer browser version. Only the most current version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates.

The following procedure provides the steps for launching the Web/WindowsApp clients for the very first time by installing the website certificates. The steps may vary; for example, the Certificate Error: Navigation Blocked page may not display if the website certificate is already installed.

1.: In the SMC tree, select the website or Web Application.
NOTE: If you click the URL hyperlink for a website or Web Application in the SMC, the Desigo CC web page opens in your default browser. However, you can also launch the web or Windows App clients using Windows Internet Explorer Browser (IE 11).

2.: Click Copy URL to copy the HTTPs URL of a website or Web Application.

⇨: The selected HTTPs URL is copied.

3.: Launch Windows Internet Explorer Browser. It is recommended to run the Web/WindowsApp clients with Windows Internet Explorer 11.

4.: In the address bar, paste the copied URL in the Windows Internet Explorer Browser IE 11.

⇨: The Certificate Error: Navigation Blocked page displays. This error occurs if the self-signed certificates and SMC-created host certificates are not already available in the respective Windows Certificate stores. Usually this error does not occur with commercial certificates.

5.: Install the website certificate. See Installing the Website Certificate.

6.: Close the IE 11 browser.

7.: Re-launch the Web Application HTTPs URL.

⇨: The error message Certificate Error:Navigation Blocked disappears and the Desigo CC web page with thumbnails for web and Windows App clients displays.

8.: Install the Web Application Certificate for verifying the signature when downloading the application in the appropriate Windows certificate store. See Installing the Web Application Certificate.

9.: From the Desigo CC web page, depending on the client type, do one of the following:

-: To launch a web client: Click the Web Client icon and follow the onscreen prompts. See Launching the Web Client.

-: To launch a Windows App client (ClickOnce): Click the Remote Client icon and follow the installation wizard prompts that display. See Launching the Windows App Client.

Tips

●: When host certificates, created with SMC, are used for the website or Web Application, it is recommended to add the website/Web Application URL to the Trusted sites zone from Tools > Internet Options > Security to avoid failing certificate revocation checks.

●: If you change the Web Application certificate using SMC, then you must reinstall the updated certificate on the clients.

●: When host certificates, created with SMC, are used for signing the Web Application and the Internet browser is configured to check the publisher's certificate revocation, the Security Warning message may display, even after installing the certificate. In this case, you can either add the website to the Trusted Sites zone to resolve the issue, or ignore the warning and click Run (for web client) or Install (for Windows App client).

●: You can browse multiple Web Applications pointing to the same or different projects and launch multiple web and/or Windows App clients simultaneously. However, this can affect the system performance.

●: On a remote machine, if you launch the Web Application linked to a server project with secured CCom port (web communication) and the Web Application contains a different certificate from that of its parent website, you must add the root certificate of the parent website in the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store of the Windows Certificate store.

●: When browsing for a Web Application, if you receive an error message, you can always check the log file located at [Installation drive]:\[Installation folder]\Websites\[Website name]\GMSWebSite\Log.

●: If you launch a Web or Windows App client using a Web Application URL linked to a stopped project, the Windows App client fails to connect. In this case, you must start the project and re-launch the Web/WindowsApp client using the Web Application.

●: If you launch a Web/WindowsApp client through a Web Application link containing no project, you cannot launch the Web/WindowsApp client.

●: If the website hosting the Web Application is stopped, the Web Application page does not display and an error message displays.

●: You can launch a Web/Windows App client by browsing the Web Application link on the same system where it was created, or on a different system.

●: For a Web Application created on a client/FEP system (with IIS), but connected to a project on a server (without IIS), you can browse the Web Application link and launch the Web/WindowsApp client on a different system.

●: If you launch a Web/WindowsApp client using a Web Application URL and cannot save an object (for example, a graphic), while working with the Web/WindowsApp client, you may need to repair the .Net. Refer to repair the .NET Framework 4.0.30319 version at a command prompt.
If you browse the parent website for such a Web Application, it displays a blank web page with a server error.

●: Transferring files between Web/WindowsApp clients and the web server (IIS) is a potential security risk. Communication between the Web/WindowsApp clients and the server (IIS) is restricted and only allows you to transfer file types that are supported by Desigo CC for each writable directory of the web server. File types that are not supported are not transferred, and IIS responds with an HTTP 404 error. Depending on the workflow, this error is reported to the operator at the client, or is added to the log file on the server. For more information, see File transfer between Web Server (IIS) and Web/Windows App Client.