NAP Extensibility queries

[Techno]

I have an upcoming project which is interesting but scary at the same time.

I am a professional .NET Developer.

Basically, I am wondering if there is any way I can develop an extensibility for NAP (Network Access Protection) for Windows Server 2008 R2/Windows 7?

I know there is an SDK but most of it is in C++ and I have no idea how to interact with it or what to do when calling from C# (I know we can COM interop but still)

I already have a script that works on what I want it to do but I need to integrate this into NAP to run.

is it possible to call this script/exe from C++ so it gets a return code back from the script/exe?

does anyone know anything about NAP and how to build a simple extensibility? how do we integrate with NAP/report to NAP or get data from NAP?

[chris128]

I've started to use (or am trying to use) NAP and did wonder myself about how you could code against it... if I find anything out I will let you know but I would imagine it will all just be COM interop as you mentioned

[Techno]

indeed. I really appreciate this mate, and I really do need to do this for a project which is upcoming and right now its really a research/development thing for now.

Dan Griffin who wrote one of the NAP examples on MSDN said that it is in theory possible..... just no examples unfortunately.

I think we need to work with a C++ Dev here and understand what the NAP SDK example is actually doing, so then if we can make a generic "register" "execute" "report" thing from C++, we can then import this, make calls to it.... job done.

I dont even know what the SDK example is actually doing to be quite frank, and how NAP can "see" this plugin, and how it executes it.

what have you "tried" to do so far?

[Techno]

my head hurts....
don't quite understand where to turn or how to work with the SDK.

unfortunately my computer HDD died on my last night for no reason at all, after installing a new HDD which was going to be used to set up the environment for NAP.... so now, just restoring back my backup on a new HDD then after that, I should be able to setup NAP and then investigate further, however I still need some guidance on the SDK or NAP extensibility.

[chris128]

Sorry I havent had chance to look into this I've been busy setting up some virtual servers on our 2008 box. I'll try take a look at NAP soon though and let you know if I get anywhere! (which is probably unlikely)

[Techno]

Thanks, I really appreciate it!
hopefully we can work together or something.
Would you happen to know on the top of your head, or even if you have experience on this, on how a NAP extensibility plugin is seen in NAP itself or how it works?

meh - I dunno much about it... hopefully soon enough I will be able to tinker with setting up and configuring NAP on my VPC's and server.

[chris128]

Nope I'm afraid I have no idea, im only just getting to grips with NAP itself What exactly are you wanting to do with it via code? I mean you must have some idea of how you want to "extend" it

EDIT: bummer I didnt realise the NAP clients had to be XP SP3 or above... that rules out most of our workstations then..

Also, have you looked at stuff like this: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...02(VS.85).aspx ? I'm assuming when you say you want to make a NAP plugin you mean you want to create your own client SHA?

[Techno]

oh I do totally. in fact that piece of code I have written in C# and works.... but now I want to include my extension in NAP but no idea how..... and what needs to be developed to report itself and register and run under NAP. (the whole integration thing is the problem)

[chris128]

Hmm I can see what you mean, there is a bit on MSDN about how to create SHAs etc but not anything that I can see about how you actually get them into NAP on the client and server side once you have made it...

[Techno]

yeh. plus I dont know what SHA's are really or more specifically, what its involvement is and how it works, what methods are called to do..whatever

[chris128]

Well the MSDN site explains that doesnt it? About half way down this page it mentions the interfaces it uses and how it works http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...02(VS.85).aspx - the bit titled System Health Agent API (which is obviously what SHA stands for)

[Techno]

indeed my friend BUT I dont understand the C++ code used in the examples which *may* implement those interfaces and do other bits - thats the trouble I am having.

going to give another shot at reading the stuff. doing so much here right now, restoring the image of a HDD is just not working after my failed HDD got replaced today. spent over 17 hours straight making this work. doh!

[chris128]

I feel for ya, I've spent the last hour trying to join a server to a new domain I'm building (should be simple right!) - it just says "the specified file was not found" when I try and join the domain :S piece of ****

Sorry, a little off topic

I just had a look at the C++ examples and yeah I cant make much from them either... did you say someone had told you that its definitley possible in .NET?

[Techno]

well he said "in theory"..... he wrote an MSDN article about NAP extensibility and a small scenario he had... but didnt say much to be honest.

looking more and more into the link you provided, that did help a bit more to be honest and talked about registering with NAP and that implementing that interface will basically kick start the progress..... still a little iffy