Master Data Services issue with ‘https’, error message:”[HttpWebRequest_WebException_Remoteserver] Arguments: NotFound Debugging resource strings are unavailable.”

Master Data Services issue with ‘https’, error message:”[HttpWebRequest_WebException_Remoteserver] Arguments: NotFound Debugging resource strings are unavailable.”

Environment Description:

Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 SP1 with SQL Server 2012 SP1 and IIS configured on the same machine.

Master Data Services configured on the same machine.

 

Scenario:

In the Master Data Services Configuration Manager - you create a new database.

In Web Configuration tab - Website you create a new website (or use the Default Web Site).

Created a new Web application and selected the new database you created above.

Also you enabled the DQS Integration and clicked ‘apply’.

In the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, for the web site you created, in bindings you choose to use only https and selected a SSL certificate (a certificate for which you do not have any error message).

When you open Master Data Manager - Explorer you received the following error message:

"[HttpWebRequest_WebException_Remoteserver] Arguments: NotFound Debugging resource strings are unavailable.Often the key and arguments provide sufficient information to diagnose the problem.See https://go.rnicrosoft.com/fwlinkl?linkid=106663&Version=5.O.61118.O&File=System.Windows.dll&Key=HttpWebRequest_WebExcetion_RemoteServer"

After you click on OK you receive again the same error message. After the second click you have as result an empty, white page.

 

Steps to verify possible issues:

Step1:

First you have to be aware that “The Master Data Manager web application can use either HTTP or HTTPS, but not both.”

Step2:

Second you have to be sure that the following article is verified on your environment: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh479776.aspx

As the article describes, you have to do the following modifications on your MDS environment:

1. Prerequisites to perform the procedure:

- You must be an administrator on the web server where Master Data Manager is installed.

- MDS must be installed on the web server, and a web application must exist. For more information, see Install Master Data Services and Create a Master Data Manager Web Application (Master Data Services).

 2. To secure the Master Data Manager web application with HTTPS

- After you have confirmed that the Master Data Manager Web application is configured correctly with HTTP, create a certificate in IIS. For more information, see Configuring Server Certificates in IIS 7.

- In the Connections pane, under Sites, click the site that hosts the Master Data Manager Web application.

- In the Actions pane, click Bindings.

- Click Add.

- From the list, select https.

- Select the SSL certificate.

- Click OK.

Optional. To remove HTTP so that users can access the site with HTTPS only, from the list, click the row with http. Click Remove and on the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

- To close the Site Bindings dialog box, click Close.

- Now open the web.config file from drive: \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Master Data Services\WebApplication.

- Find the string <security mode="Message"> and change it to <security mode="Transport">.

- Save and close the file. If you get an error, it could be because you have UAC enabled. For more information, see Turn off User Account Control. Users should now be able to use HTTPS to access the site.

Important You must change basicHttp and wsHttpBinding configurations after removing HTTP.

That means that in the web.config you have to do the following modifications:

 - First modification:

<!-- Non-SSL implementations.--> <!-- <security mode="Transport"> -->                     
<!--<message clientCredentialType="Windows"/>-->                     
<!--</security>-->                     
<!--SSL implementations-->                     
<security mode="Transport">                           
<message clientCredentialType="Windows" />          
</security>

- The second modification :

<!-- Non-SSL implementations.-->                     
<!--<security mode="TransportCredentialOnly">-->                     
<!--<transportclientCredentialType="Windows"/>-->                     
<!--</security>-->                     
<!-- SSL implementations -->                     
<security mode="Transport">                           
<transportclientCredentialType="Windows" />                     
</security>

Step3:

You must be sure the certificate used is in order, without any error message (very important);

Step4:

Open a CMD with administrator rights and executed the command: iisreset

 

Possible cause:

You can receive the error message above if the modifications in web.config file are not correct or are incomplete.

Also the error message can appear if there are issues with the IIS configuration or with the certificate.

To troubleshoot the issue I recommend enabling a logging on MDS using the following link: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2423478. The KB article is for SQL Server 2008 R2 but I tested it on an SQL Server 2012 and it works.

 

I hope the blog provided some extra information and clarifications concerning the modifications that have to be done so the Master Data Manager Web application can be used with HTTPS

Comments

• Anonymous
  September 13, 2013
  Since I didn't need SSL I wasn't able to test your solution, although, I was experiencing the same issues without SSL enabled and I was able to fix it, check it out: algour.com/.../mds-issue