# Suggestions for using Rack-based Ruby apps on Windows?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/suggestions-for-using-rack-based-ruby-apps-on-windows/181560>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 13, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/suggestions-for-using-rack-based-ruby-apps-on-windows/181560 "2010-01-13T20:44:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nicken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@nicken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nicken)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/suggestions-for-using-rack-based-ruby-apps-on-windows/181560/1 "2010-01-13T20:44:28Z")

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At my office, we have a Windows/IIS server hosting some CGI-based Ruby  
web apps. Because the server is Windows-based, we can easily use the AD  
domain to control authentication to the various web apps.

But over in unix-land, I’ve been working with Rack frameworks (such as  
Sinatra) with great success! Rack is just far superior to plain-old-CGI.  
Unfortunately, Phusion Passenger (my Rack server) does not and never  
will support Windows.

So I ask you: are there any mature, stable solutions for Racking up on  
Windows? Is anyone using IronRuby.Rack on IIS in production? If IIS and  
Apache aren’t options, is it possible to use another Rackable webserver  
on Windows and still use domain authentication to the apps it hosts?

Alternatively, what is the best solution for authenticating to Windows  
domains from unix Rack servers? We have found that Apache+Samba does not  
play well with our domain, but we could potentially move the domain  
stuff to the webapp-level if that is indeed the best option.

Thoughts? I am interested in hearing about any real-world experience on  
this topic.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![nicken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@nicken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nicken)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/suggestions-for-using-rack-based-ruby-apps-on-windows/181560/2 "2010-01-13T21:40:12Z")

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On 13.01.2010 20:44, Nick B. wrote:

> Alternatively, what is the best solution for authenticating to Windows  
> domains from unix Rack servers? We have found that Apache+Samba does not  
> play well with our domain, but we could potentially move the domain  
> stuff to the webapp-level if that is indeed the best option.
> 
> Thoughts? I am interested in hearing about any real-world experience on  
> this topic.

[http://code.google.com/p/rubycas-server/](http://code.google.com/p/rubycas-server/) (and rubycas-client, which  
allows Ruby apps to use the CAS protocol) can authenticate against AD,  
with an ActiveDirectory connector.

It’s quite simple to use (at least, it looks that way), and can be  
extended, if need be.

I do not know if it is rack-able, but it can run on Windows as a pure  
Ruby app (you’d’ve to proxy connections through via ISS, in the worst  
case).