301RedirectModule isn't working for URL with dot file name

Question

We are migrating the site from Java Vignette platform to sitecore. And we have redirect requirement.

Looks like most of the Java URL seems to have dot.

portal/site/template.oldRegisteration

I'm trying to use 301Redirect Module (https://github.com/thecadams/301RedirectModule). However, it isn't working (keeps getting 404 status code) for any source URL which has dot.

Has anyone faced this issue and somehow resolved?

Answer 1

The issue is the request is not being processed by Sitecore, since it is seeing .oldRegistration as file extension and it has not been configured as an allowed extension. You need to add all the extensions that you want processed, since the module works integrates in the Sitecore pipelines:

<configuration xmlns:patch="http://www.sitecore.net/xmlconfig/">
  <sitecore>
      <preprocessRequest>
        <processor type="Sitecore.Pipelines.PreprocessRequest.FilterUrlExtensions, Sitecore.Kernel">
          <param desc="Allowed extensions (comma separated)">aspx, ashx, asmx, oldRegisteration</param>
        </processor>
      </preprocessRequest>      
    </pipelines>    
  </sitecore>
</configuration>

Note that the above is in the preprocessRequest so is very early in the pipeline process. Also be aware that configuring and allowing too many extensions will cause Sitecore to process them and may have a negative impact on performance. It's worth considering the use of the IIS URL Rewrite module for "static redirects", i.e. one's that do not need to be configured by users, since it works at an IIS level before any request to your application is made.

Answer 2

This is generally caused by IIS configuration. By default IIS assumes that any file extension not already registered (.aspx, .ashx etc.) is a static file. It will try and locate that file and as its not actually a file you'll get a 404.

You will need to configure IIS to pass these kinds of requests through to your Sitecore instance. Once configured the URL re-writer can action the item.