IIS - Machine Key, registry keys between servers are not consistent

Hi everyone,
We have two front-end servers that are load balanced. Server 2008 R2. IIS is serving a couple web apps, specifically web forms. We've been experiencing viewstate errors during onSubmit so we configured a static Machine Key for each web app in the IIS gui and web.config's, consistently across both servers. We're still facing viewstate problems so we took a closer look at the registry keys.

We found a discrepancy on one of the servers in production. Our development environment is configured alike and does not contain the discrepancy.

server1 contains a few keys that server2 doesn't. We're not positive this is an issue but these servers should be consistent.

Our question is, how can we learn more about these keys? This is prod so we don't want to delete them without more research. Highlighted below is the discrepancy between servers.

Screenshots capture HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ASP.NET

Production Server1:

Production Server2:

Development Server1:

Development Server2:

Thanks in advance for your help!

Microsoft IIS Web ServerASP.NETWeb ServersServer HardwareMicrosoft Server OS

Last Comment

bmsande

8/22/2022 - Mon

David Johnson, CD

8/6/2014

Best way is to add a machineKey element into each of the web server's web.config and define the same keys and algorithm. The machineKey goes under the System.web node.
i.e. in your web.config

<machineKey validation="SHA1" validationKey="A1B2C3D4E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1A1B2C3D4E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1A1B2C3D4 E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1A1B2C3D4E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1A1B2C3D4E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1B2C3D4E5"
decryption="Auto" decryptionKey="A1B2C3D4E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1A1B2C3D4E5F6F6E5D4C3B2A1" />

Open in new window

http://www.codeproject.com/Questions/769391/What-is-mean-by-Validation-of-viewstate-MAC-failed

bmsande

8/6/2014

ASKER

That was done already. Web.config sections match with a static machine key. But we're trying to understand these registry keys... and trying to correct the inconsistency highlighted above.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

bmsande

8/15/2014

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David Johnson, CD