HttpContext.Current.User.Principal vs WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent ()

Question

What is the difference in asp.NET with Windows authentication and personification of identity between HttpContext.Current.User.Principal and WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent ()?

Answer 1

According to this forum on WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name vs. User.Identity.Name :

• User.Identity.Name represents the identifier passed from IIS.
• WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name is the identity under which the thread operates.

Depending on the authentication settings of your application in IIS, they return different values:

 | Anonymous | Impersonate | User.Identity.Name | WindowsIndentiy.GetCurrent() | |-----------|-------------|--------------------|-------------------------------| | Yes | True | Empty String | IUSR_< machineName > | | Yes | False | Empty String | NT Authority\Network Service | | No | True | domain\user | domain\user | | No | False | domain\user | NT Authority\Network Service | 

Legend

• Where domain \ user will be displayed as:
  • domain \ user for Active Directory
  • computer_name \ username for local account
• Where NT \ Network Service will be displayed as:
  • NT \ Network Service for Windows Server or ASP.NET
  • computer_name \ ASPNET_WP for Windows XP