StoredProfileAWSCredentials complains it cannot find the profile in a Web application - asp.net-mvc

Question

I am seeing the following error being returned when I run the StoredProfileAWSCredentials default constructor from within a web application:
System.AggregateException: One or more errors occurred. ---> System.ArgumentException: Path cannot be the empty string or all whitespace.
Parameter name: path
at System.IO.Directory.GetParent(String path)
at Amazon.Runtime.StoredProfileAWSCredentials.DetermineCredentialsFilePath(String profilesLocation) in d:\Jenkins\jobs\build-sdkandtools-release\workspace\sdk\src\AWSSDK_DotNet35\Amazon.Runtime\AWSCredentials.cs:line 354
at Amazon.Runtime.StoredProfileAWSCredentials..ctor(String profileName, String profilesLocation) in d:\Jenkins\jobs\build-sdkandtools-release\workspace\sdk\src\AWSSDK_DotNet35\Amazon.Runtime\AWSCredentials.cs:line 300
at Amazon.Runtime.StoredProfileAWSCredentials..ctor(String profileName) in d:\Jenkins\jobs\build-sdkandtools-release\workspace\sdk\src\AWSSDK_DotNet35\Amazon.Runtime\AWSCredentials.cs:line 270
at Amazon.Runtime.StoredProfileAWSCredentials..ctor() in d:\Jenkins\jobs\build-sdkandtools-release\workspace\sdk\src\AWSSDK_DotNet35\Amazon.Runtime\AWSCredentials.cs:line 260
I am calling this method with no parameters. I have a "default" profile defined which has worked when it has been used. The web application is running under IIS 6.1 in an application pool which uses my credentials (since the AWS credentials were obtained under my login).
I have tried using the two-parameter constructor with the name "default" and the local disk path to the RegisteredAccounts.json file (which was generated for me by the AWS Toolkit extension for VS 2013).
What is happening here and how do I fix it?

Answer 1

You need to set the path in the Web.config file:
<appSettings>
<add key="AWSProfilesLocation" value="path\to\RegisteredAccounts.json" />
<add key="AWSProfileName" value="default"/>
<add key="AWSRegion" value="us-west-2" />
</appSettings>
The credentials file should be in this format:
[default]
aws_access_key_id = XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
aws_secret_access_key = XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Another option is to include your keys directly in the web/app.config:
<appSettings>
<add key="AWSAccessKey" value="your key" />
<add key="AWSSecretKey" value="your key"/>
</appSettings>
There are more details available in the documentation.

Answer 2

I struggled with the same issue, fortunately the source code is open on GitHub:
https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-net/tree/master/AWSSDK_DotNet35
When you use the SDK store, it tries to get the path of the RegisteredAccounts.json file with this code:
System.Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData) + "/AWSToolkit"
In my local environment it pointed to my user profile, something like "C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\AWSToolkit"
But in the server it returned a blank string because I was using the Network User in the app pool, then I changed it for a local user in the server and even so the path was different from the one I've got before:
"C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\AWSToolkit"
Then I copied the .json file there, but didn't work until I logged in with the new user in the server and with the PowerShell tool of the SDK created a new file with the following command:
Set-AWSCredentials -AccessKey -SecretKey -StoreAs
It created the file in the AppData located in the user folder, then I copied it to the path in system32.
And then it finally worked. Seems too cumbersome, but I really needed the credentials to be encrypted and when you use AWSProfilesLocation you have to store the UserAcessKey and UserSecretKey without any security in a plain text file.