srcsafe.ini - permission requirements differ by version?

adamh · Post by **adamh** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:57 pm

We are running two versions of SOS -- 3.5.3 and 4.1.2. Each version runs on a different server and connects to a different Visual SourceSafe 6.0 database. In the case of 3.5.3, the account that runs the service has only Read permissions to the srcsafe.ini file, and everything works fine. When we set up 4.1.2, we again gave the account that runs the service Read permissions to the corresponding srcsafe.ini file. The service failed to start and the logged error was: "Error verifying database path: Access to the path '\\pd1\SCGVSS_DATABASES\NG_VSS6\srcsafe.ini' is denied." We gave that account Write permissions to the file and then everything worked.
My question is why is this the case and is it expected? Our security auditors are telling us that this permission should not be necessary.

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:49 am

This may be related to newer versions of VSS and the Automation Component because the we've recently had more reports of this error. What version of VSS and the VSS automation component is installed on your SOS Server machine?

Here's how to determine the version:

http://support.sourcegear.com/viewtopic.php?t=1510

SOS does not need direct access to the srcsafe.ini file, but the
VSS Automation component does.

adamh · Post by **adamh** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:30 am

The version is 6.0.31222.0
It is located at \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\VSS\win32

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:02 pm

Yes, that's one of the new versions. We'll need to investigate how this is different from previous versions. Thanks.