ASP.NET MVC NESTED Virtual Directory for Content Files

Question

I'm trying to map a virtual directory in my ASP.NET MVC 3 website. The virtual directory contains image files only, and the physical directory is located on another server. When I try to access an image from this directory via a web browser, I get an HTTP 500 error:

Parser Error Message: An error occurred loading a configuration file: Failed to start monitoring changes to '<virtual directory path>' because access is denied.

[EDIT]: After restarting IIS, I see that it's added "access is denied" to the end of the error message. However, the directory has the "Everyone" permission on it with read-access and it's still not working. I've seen posts that detail this same error, but the permission-setting solution isn't working for me.

Why is it looking for a configuration file? I've updated my Global.asax to ignore the route in question, and from within IIS 6, I can browse the files located in the virtual directory without issue. I've verified that the virtual directory is NOT set up as an application. Also, the permissions on the directory have read access for Everyone set. What am I doing wrong?

[EDIT #2]: The virtual directory being pointed to is a network shared folder... Does that make any difference?

[EDIT #3]: The IIS 6 hierarchy for what I'm trying to do is this: Default Website -> OurSite (MVC website which is ITSELF a virtual directory) -> Images (virtual directory that I'm struggling with). There definitely is a problem with the fact that this is a nested virtual directory; if I create the directory as a direct child of Default Website instead of Default Website -> OurSite, it works fine.

Thanks,

Andy

Answer 1

Make sure the identity running the App Pool also has execute and list permissions on that virtual folder as it's trying to monitor it for changes for caching.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316721/

[EDIT] This link indicates it may be the second case where it's not having permissions to a subfolder in the shared directory.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/317955

Does the ASPNET account have access all the way down that tree?

Answer 2

Reading Turnkey's answer and your comments, I just wanted to point out that if your AppPool is using NETWORK SERVICE identity then your remote server needs to add the web server's machine/computer account to the shared folder and NTFS permissions NOT the NETWORK SERVICE account.
If you add NETWORK SERVICE to the shared folder and NTFS permissions, you are just adding the local machine's NETWORK SERVICE account not the web server's NETWORK SERVICE account. I hope I am making sense.
Whenever you use a computer's NETWORK SERVICE account to connect remotely you are in effect using the computer's machine account so that's what you need to add.
Say your web server is called PRODSERVER, you need to add the machine/computer account PRODSERVER$ to the remote shared folder's permissions.
Hope that helps.