mssql_connect problem with NT Authentication

hatch789

Hi Guys,

I have spent days on this problem and can not get things to work. I am able to connect to my MS SQL database just fine when I have mssql.secure_connection = Off

The trouble is that our infrastructure here requires that I have it turned on for security purposes. So whenever I turn it on I get the following error:

Warning: mssql_connect(): message: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'. (severity 14)

Now I know that the browser is picking up my credentials because I see AUTH_USER correctly identified in the ISAPI section of phpinfo()

I can get to the MSSQL database just fine with NT Authentication turned off but why it is failing when it's on ...that is a true mystery to me. If someone can please help I would be grateful.

I am starting to wonder if I need ssl turned on so that I can hit an https:\somesite\test.php file. -I can't imagine they would not mention that in the manual, but maybe???

Thanks,
-Chris

hatch789

Please ...there has to be someone who has done this??? I would imagine that my setup is very common IIS with PHP on one server which is trying to hit another server running MS SQL?

I can't believe there aren't thousands of us with that exact setup.

-Chris

oxx

Chris,

Here are a few Microsoft support links that may help you out:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/Q176/3/79.ASP&NoWebContent=1

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;247931

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=176377

I think it is just a matter of the IIS Directory Security configuration on your web server. Removing the Anonymous checkbox option and possible changing from Integrated Windows Authentication to Basic Authentication. If you do change to Basic remember that you should use SSL as Basic passes everything in clear text.

Hope this helps.

hatch789

OK this one has been killing me for 3 weeks now. I have read everything that I can find on the topic. I finally got some results today by mere accident so you are all quite probably, my very last hope.

PHP 4.3.4, IIS5, MSSQL Server, Windows Authentication ON!

Yes I have mssql.secure_connection = On in my php.ini file. Up to today I had no luck at all connecting to my MSSQL database. Then by dumb luck today I was testing something in a web browser right from the IIS server itself. --Guess what it worked!!!!

Yes when I used a browser directly from the IIS server where PHP is installed I was able to connect perfectly to the MSSQL server.

However, whenever I try to use an external browser from any other machine, I can NOT connect to the MSSQL server. I get the following error every time: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'. (severity 14)

Now I have gotten this to work just fine from an external browser when I have mssql.secure_connection = Off and I pass a username/password combo in to the mssql_connect statement. -This is not an option for us though. I need to use the NT Authentication security so I have to figure out why I can ONLY get this darn thing to work when using a browser directly from the IIS server.

Help or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

-Chris

hatch789

oxx you're a genious! That last Microsoft Article finally told me what was wrong. My word this was a freegin nightmare. The 3 options that they give are the only scenarios where this will work. We should make this information more widely known since it appears that NO ONE really knew about it from the PHP side.

I feel like I have finally come full-circle in understanding this thing now. Man that was a long trip around. Thank you again Oxx

I will probably go with Basic authentication on the web server (IIS) side, but use SSL as you suggest to keep things encrypted. Doing this I can finally have the NT Authentication turned on (mssql.secure_connection = On) ...what a relief.

Thanks,
-Chris