Virtual Server administration website produces a “Page cannot be found error”

I have installed and used Virtual server on both Windows server and Windows XP platforms for a while now. I have come across this issue a couple of times now where in Virtual server installation works fine for a few days and suddenly after installing some security updates, the Virtual Server administration website gives you a “Page cannot be found error”.

I tried to un-install and re-install virtual server software hoping some setting would now be set with the new installation, but that did not work.

I actually rebuilt the operating system and then installed virtual server and bingo it worked. After installing all security patches and services packs, I again got the same “Page cannot be found error”, this basically proved to me that it had to do with some security update, that is causing this issue.

Last week, I read something about a related issue where in a windows security update that restricts access to sites running under default site(port 80) when the files are not under “wwwroot” folder.

I could not create this problem consistently, but definitely solve this problem consistently by doing the following steps:

• Virtual Server by default installs the content to C:\Program files\Microsoft Virtual Server\WebSite\VirtualServer and creates a virtual folder “VirtualServer” under default site.
  
• COPY(not move) the folder: VirtualServer from “C:\Program files\Microsoft Virtual Server\WebSite\VirtualServer” and paste it under “C:\inetpub\wwwroot\”.
  
• Now add a new virtual folder with a different alias(say VS) and point it to this folder which you just copied “C:\inetpub\wwwroot\VirtualServer”
  
• Now try accessing your original Virtual Server administration site or the new one you created and watch it work :-)

One other reason you could be getting the same error would be when you have Virtual server installed and then Virtual PC installed. For some wierd reason these 2 pieces of software donot play well together. In this case, I would suggest uninstalling Virtual PC and see if that helps.

What is ResolveAssemblyReference.cache ?

WHAT: I am pretty sure everybody has come across scenarios, where you think something should work, based on the code changes you have made in visual studio, but they actually dont work...

Well of the many reasons, we found over the last couple of years, recently, i found one more to add to the list.

DETAILS: there is a file created by visual studio called ResolveAssemblyReference.cache, which is created by the newer versions of MSBUILD. The idea of this new feature is to be able to bind to the assembly version while debugging, without having to deploy/GAC the project at all.

If you are not satisfied with the code changes you made, you just have to roll back your code and need not rollback the assembly version which has been deployed/GACed on your system.

WHY did MS implement this?: Kindof like Debugging webpages from your visual studio without having IIS installed on your machine
or
Debug and run a SQL script from your visual studio without having SQL Server on your machine

Just that this functionality created problems for BTSDeploy command line utility, because it used the older version of the DLL that was manually deployed for the package.

SOLUTION: Withing your script, just ensure this cache file is deleted before you dig deeper on why your changes dont take effect.

NOTE: This file can be created only during Compile time not during deployment.