Actually this build is used WSE 2.0 SP3 and contains minor bug fixes. All the sources published on GotDotNet site (SCCBridge workspace). Pay attention that for now the sources include SCCProvider project that is MSSCCI implementation. I've decided to publish this project since Microsoft freely publish their interface and documentation for all VSIP.

As I wrote early in our blog, the latest version SCCBridge allows accessing to SCCBridge server via proxy. Here is some explanation what you should do in order to establish such connection:

1) open RepositoryExplorer;
2) click “Settings” button;
3) set “Default service URL” property to “http://proxy:1234/BridgeServer/Repository.asmx” ;
4) set “Endpoint URL” to “http://serverhost/BridgeServer/Repository.asmx”;
5) click “OK”.

Now you can do login.

P.S. Pay attention that “serverhost” is a host name used by proxy to route requests to.

Eventually the SCCBridge project became really open source project. From now its sources (version 1.1.0.0) are accessible from GotDotNet site. Releases, documentation and some interesting things about the project you still can find here. Welcome to all developers who want to participate in advancing of this project.

Today the next version of SCCBridge server and client were published. Feel free to download them from our download page.

What's new in this version:

• The access to Source Safe database is implemented using COM+ object. This approach allows to avoid problems with access to VSS database on the LAN and simplify configuration.
• The more intelligent List command is implemented. It can retrieve list of files/folders without checking whether files are pinned. This accelerates the list retrieving up to 2-3 times. 
• The folders tree caching in Repository Explorer is implemented.
• The caching of files/folders info in source code control provider for Visual Studio .NET 2003 IDE is improved.
• Source code control provider for IDE now doesn't require user's credentials for each project in the solution.
• Source code control provider can open now solutions created with Source Safe.
• Fix: checkout during file editing in Repository Explorer.
• History dialog allows to determine either a specified or whole history period to get history data.
• Repository Explorer and source code control provider support the same configuration file now.
• FileSystemBridge is removed from the installation.
• Some security improvement is implemented:
  • From now the SCCBridge client supports Windows Integrated and Basic authentication.
  • The ability to use IE non-dynamic proxy settings is implemented.
  • The endpoint URL is now implemented. This allows to use web service behind the routers and/or firewalls.
  • The SCCBridge client encrypts VSS user name, password and database before send them to the web service.
  • The user doesn't see projects when he doesn't have any right on it. The users' rights on projects can be determined by VSS Admin utility.

P.S. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Today I've found that when BridgeServer works under IIS 6 (on Windows Server 2003), it cannot connect to remote database, even with all changes in machine.config file (as I did for IIS 5 on Windows 2000). I've spent some time to investigate this problem (thanks to Pawel Bojkowski for his persistency and assistance with tests) and I've found the following solution of this problem:

1. Open "Computer Management" tool ("Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management").
2. Expand "Services and Applications" node.
3. Expand "Internet Information Service (IIS) Manager" node.
4. Right click "Application Pools". 
   • Select "New" menu item.
   • Then select "Application pool..." menu item.
   • Specify Application Pool ID as "BridgeServer".
   • Click "OK".
   • Right click on "BridgeServer" application pool and then select "Properties" menu item.
   • Select "Identity" tab.
   • Change "Application pool identity" to "Configurable".
   • Provide domain user name and password. This user should be member of IIS_WPG group and have enough access rights to the folder where VSS database is stored.
   • Click "OK".
5. Expand "Web Sites" node.
6. Expand "Default Web Site" node.
7. Right click "BridgeServer" web application and then select "Properties" menu item.
   • Change application pool to "BridgeServer".
   • Click "OK".
8. Restart "Default Web Site".

I've released eventually the next version of SCCBridge project. I've fixed there several bugs and improved a bit the integration module to Visual Studio .NET 2003.

The latest changes are:

• Fix the bug with adding to repository bunch of projects (reported by Tim at 4/12/2004 7:04:41 PM).
• The client-side cache for integration module to VS.NET is implemented. This allows to improve a bit productivity of this module (reported by Mark Rose at 3/26/2004 3:29:10 AM).
• The “Select Project Dialog“ in integration module was fixed.
• From now the integration module supports MSSCCPRJ.SCC files.
• I've implemented some functionality of MSSCCI ver1.2 that also quicken up integration module. 
• I've changed a bit Test() method of web service. From now it requires user name and password and tries to connect using of them. In case of error it shows stack trace that simplifies configuration of the service.
• From now there is an ability to turn off support of RSA encrypting during login.
• There are also some minor changes in web service (e.g. I've implemented IsControlled() web method that allows to quicken up the integration module to VS.NET).

I've investigated also how to access from web service to SourceSafe database placed on LAN. Take a look at my recommendation in “read me.txt“ file in /BridgeServer web folder. I've included also these recommendations to my documentation.

I've separated binary files from sources. You can download the SCCBridge server, SCCBridge client separately. The sources as solution for Visual Studio .NET 2003 are available by e-mail request. From now, three additional sub projects (SCCDiff, SCCGUI and SCCPSwitcher) are including to sources. Also I've included sources of SharpZipLib for consistency.

I'm keep working on improvement of SCCBridge project and will be thankful for any feedback.

A half year ago I had started a new project that allows accessing to SourceSafe repository remotely. Than I've changed my mind and I've decided to implement more common interface for version control systems (not only for SourceSafe). The main reason for creating of such kind project was that we had need in access to remote version control system, but all ports was closed by our ISP. There were several opened ports (25, 110 and 80). So, we even couldn't use the CVS. At that time an idea about some bridge that allows accessing to version control system (actually at that moment we have need in SourceSafe) as a web service (via HTTP) was born.

Before creating own system I've investigated the market and have found several more or less acceptable solutions:

• SourceOffsite - of course the best existing at that moment solution, but it also used some specified TCP/IP port, so we were not be able to use it due to the same reason as we were not be able to use CVS. More over, their prices were the highest for such kind of products.
• Than I had found VssConnect - also not a worst solution, but lack of documentation and they did not support (at that moment) some useful SourceSafe functionality. And that is more important they also used some TCP/IP port. :-( By the way, their prices are more reasonable.
• After that I had started to look for a product, which is implemented as web service. And I've found one: VSS.Net. But they also do not provide some SourceSafe functionality: sharing and branching files, retrieving of history, pinning/unpinning files and etc.  And they do not implement integration in VS IDE. The price of their product a bit higher then the previous one, but still acceptable.

When I had studied these solutions, I've decided to create my own solution. And, since for me this was not a main job, but just an opportunity to study something new in practice, so, I've decided to create this solution as a freeware .NET product.

At the 24 November 2003 I've published the first fully functional version that can be integrated into Visual Studio .NET 2003 IDE. So, my task was done, but right now I see a lot of places where I can improve performance of my product, but I have a doubt: do somebody need in this project at all?