Windows Installation

These instructions are for installing Lasso Server on 64-bit Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, and Windows 7. Supported web servers are IIS 7, IIS 8, and Apache 2.2.

Windows Prerequisites

Lasso Server requires the following Microsoft updates:

  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (auto-installed if required)
  • Servers running IIS 7 or 8 need ISAPI enabled:
    • For Windows Server, use the Roles Wizard to add “ISAPI Extensions” and “ISAPI Filters” under Web Server ‣ Application Development.
    • For other Windows versions, open Control Panel ‣ Programs and Features and click Turn Windows features on or off, then under Internet Information Services ‣ World Wide Web Services ‣ Application Development Features, enable “ISAPI Extensions” and “ISAPI Filters”.

These installs are optional, but recommended:

If either is installed after Lasso, restart Lasso Instance Manager by opening the built-in Services application, selecting the “Lasso Instance Manager” service, and clicking the “Restart Service” icon.

Important

Links to third-party distributions and tools are provided for your convenience and were accurate when this guide was written. LassoSoft cannot guarantee the availability or suitability of software downloaded from third-party web sites.

Installation

  1. Download the Lasso Server for Windows installer for your preferred web server from the LassoSoft website and run the installer package. (Their contents are identical, but only the IIS installer configures IIS for you automatically.) By default the following files and folders will be installed:

    Lasso folder:C:\Program Files\LassoSoft\Lasso Instance Manager\
    IIS plugin:C:\Windows\System32\isapi_lasso9.dll
  2. When the installer has finished and your web server has been configured, open http://your-server-domain.name/lasso9/instancemanager to load the initialization form and complete your Lasso installation. From here on, you can read up on using the Lasso Instance Manager and Instance Administration and Configuration interfaces.

Configuring IIS 7 or 8

These steps will replicate the configuration commands run by the IIS installer.

To add Lasso Connector for IIS to the list of allowed ISAPI extensions:

  • Open IIS Manager and select your computer name from the nodes on the left.
  • In the main panel, double-click on ISAPI and CGI Restrictions.
  • Click Add... to add a new entry:
    • ISAPI or CGI path: C:\Windows\System32\isapi_lasso9.dll
    • Description: Lasso9
    • Check Allow extension path to execute
  • Back in the main panel, double-click on ISAPI Filters.
  • Click Add... to add a new entry:
    • Filter name: isapi_lasso9.dll
    • Executable: C:\Windows\System32\isapi_lasso9.dll

To pass requests for “*.lasso” files to Lasso Server:

  • Open IIS Manager and select your computer name from the nodes on the left, or a site within it.
  • In the main panel, double-click on Handler Mappings.
  • Click Add Script Map... to add a new script map:
    • Request path: *.lasso
    • Executable: C:\Windows\System32\isapi_lasso9.dll
    • Name: Lasso9Handler
    • Request Restrictions...: under Mapping, uncheck “Invoke handler only if request is mapped” (leave other settings at “All verbs” and “Script”)

To configure access to Lasso Instance Manager and Lasso Server Admin:

  • Open IIS Manager and expand your computer name from the nodes on the left.
  • Right-click a web site under your computer name, e.g. “Default Web Site”.
  • Select Add Application... to add a new application:
    • Alias: lasso9
    • Application pool: select an appropriate pool (generally DefaultAppPool is acceptable)
    • Physical path: C:\Program Files\LassoSoft\Lasso Instance Manager\www\
  • Select the newly created application from the nodes on the left and double-click on Handler Mappings.
  • Click Add Script Map... to add a new script map:
    • Request path: *
    • Executable: C:\Windows\System32\isapi_lasso9.dll
    • Name: LassoAdmin
    • Request Restrictions...: under Mapping, uncheck “Invoke handler only if request is mapped” (leave other settings at “All verbs” and “Script”)

Restart IIS when finished to apply the new configuration.

Configuring Apache 2.2

These steps must be run manually for Apache to serve Lasso pages.

  • Open C:\Program Files\LassoSoft\Lasso Instance Manager\home\LassoExecutables\ and copy these files:
    • mod_lasso9.dll into the Apache modules\ folder
    • mod_lasso9.conf into the Apache conf\ folder
  • In the conf\ folder, open the Apache httpd.conf file for editing and add the following line: Include conf/mod_lasso9.conf
  • Restart Apache.
  • In a browser, open http://localhost/lasso9/instancemanager to load the initialization form and complete your Lasso installation.

Troubleshooting

ISAPI and CGI Restrictions or ISAPI Filters options for IIS are missing.

  • If you cannot find either ISAPI option, it is most likely not installed. To install the ISAPI options on IIS 7 or 8:

    Windows Server:
    1. Open Server Manager
    2. Navigate to the list of currently installed Web Server roles
    3. Expand Web Server ‣ Application Development
    4. Check “ISAPI Extensions” and “ISAPI Filters”
    5. Continue through installation wizard
    Windows 7 or 8:
    1. Open “Control Panel”
    2. Open Programs and Features
    3. Click Turn Windows features on or off”
    4. Expand Internet Information Services ‣ World Wide Web Services ‣ Application Development Features
    5. Check “ISAPI Extensions” and “ISAPI Filters”
    6. Click OK
    7. Continue through installation wizard

IIS gives the error Handler "Lasso9Handler" has a bad module "IsapiModule" in its module list when loading “*.lasso” files.

  • IIS’s ISAPI options are not installed, or were installed after Lasso Server. Follow the steps above to ensure ISAPI is installed and manually add Lasso Connector for IIS to the list of allowed ISAPI extensions.

Lasso pages are not loading.

  • The Application Pool for the site may be set to run 32-bit applications. To disable:

    1. Open IIS Manager
    2. Select the site’s “Application Pool”
    3. Click Advanced Settings
    4. Set “Enable 32-bit Applications” to “False”
  • IIS may be missing required features. To check:

    Windows Server:
    1. Open Server Manager
    2. Navigate to the list of currently installed Web Server roles
    3. Expand Web Server ‣ Common HTTP Features
    4. Check “Default Document” and “Static Content”
    5. Continue through installation wizard
    Windows 7 or 8:
    1. Open “Control Panel”
    2. Open Programs and Features
    3. Click Turn Windows features on or off”
    4. Expand Internet Information Services ‣ World Wide Web Services ‣ Common HTTP Features
    5. Check “Default Document” and “Static Content”
    6. Click OK
    7. Continue through installation wizard

Standard 404 error page is returned instead of Lasso’s default not found page.

  • IIS’s handler for “*.lasso” files may have a request restriction set. To disable:
    1. Open IIS Manager
    2. Select your computer name from the nodes on the left or a site within it, depending where the handler was first defined
    3. In the main panel, double-click on Handler Mappings
    4. Edit the script map for “*.lasso” files
    5. Click Request Restrictions...
    6. Under Mapping, uncheck “Invoke handler only if request is mapped”
    7. Click OK twice, then Yes to apply the change

Standard 500 error page is returned instead of Lasso’s default error page.

  • IIS’s “HTTP Errors” feature may be enabled. To disable:

    Windows Server:
    1. Open Server Manager
    2. Navigate to the list of currently installed Web Server roles
    3. Expand Web Server ‣ Common HTTP Features
    4. Uncheck “HTTP Errors”
    5. Continue through installation wizard
    Windows 7 or 8:
    1. Open “Control Panel”
    2. Open Programs and Features
    3. Click Turn Windows features on or off”
    4. Expand Internet Information Services ‣ World Wide Web Services ‣ Common HTTP Features
    5. Uncheck “HTTP Errors”
    6. Click OK
    7. Continue through installation wizard