MySQL Connector/NET 6.1 introduced the MySQL Website Configuration Tool. This is a facility available in Visual Studio that allows you to configure the Membership, Role, Session State and Profile Provider, without having to resort to editing configuration files. You simply run the tool, set your configuration options, and the tool will modify your web.config file accordingly.

The MySQL Website Configuration Tool appears as a small icon on the Solution Explorer toolbar in Visual Studio, as show by the following screenshot:

Figure 21.18. MySQL Website Configuration Tool

Clicking on the Website Configuration Tool icon launches the wizard and displays the first screen:

Figure 21.19. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Membership

This allows you to enable use of the MySQL Membership Provider. Simply click the checkbox to enable this. You can now enter the name of the application that you are creating the configuration for. You can also enter a description for the application.

You can then click the Edit... button to launch the Connection String Editor:

Figure 21.20. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Connection String Editor

Note that if you have already defined a connection string for the providers manually in web.config, or previously using the tool, this will be automatically loaded and displayed, and can then be modified in this dialog.

You can also ensure that the necessary schema are created automatically for you by selecting the Autogenerate Schema checkbox. These schema are used to store membership information. The database used to storage is the one specified in the connection string.

You can also ensure that exceptions generated by the application will be written to the event log by selecting the Write excpetions to event log checkbox.

Clicking the Advanced... button launches a dialog that allows you to set Membership Options. These options dictate such variables as password length required when a user signs up, whether the password is encrypted and whether the user can reset their password or not.

Figure 21.21. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Advanced Options

Once information has been set up as required for configuration of the Membership Provider the Next button can be clicked to display the Roles Provider screen:

Figure 21.22. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Roles

Again the connection string can be edited, a description added and Autogenerate Schema can be enabled before clicking Next to go to the Profiles Provider screen:

Figure 21.23. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Profiles

This screen display similar options to the previous screens.

Click Next to proceed to the Session State configuration page:

Figure 21.24. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Session State

Once you have set up the Session State Provider as required, click Finish to exit the wizard.

At this point it is necessary to select the Authentication Type to From Internet. This can be done by launching the ASP.NET Configuration Tool, and selecting the Security tab. Click the Select authentication type link and ensure that the From the internet radio button is selected. You can now examine the database you created to store membership information. All the necessary tables will have been created for you:

Figure 21.25. MySQL Website Configuration Tool - Tables