Accessing web parts across Web Applications

Question

Feel free to tell me if this is impossible, but what we're wanting to do is deploy/run farm solutions on one web application, while accessing them on another. So the feature would be activated on web application "ABC" but the web part would be added on a page on web application "DEF." Or the web part would be added on a page on web application "ABC" and then framed in or something on a page on web application "DEF."

We're wanting to do this to provide some level of separation between the main web application and the custom farm solutions we're writing. We are working on moving towards apps, but until then we would like some separation if possible.

Answer 1

In your first case "So the feature would be activated on web application "ABC" but the web part would be added on a page on web application "DEF." This would not be possible as web application DEF as no idea about features of webapplication "ABC".

In your second case "the web part would be added on a page on web application "ABC" and then framed in or something on a page on web application "DEF.". Are you talking about using iframe on web application "DEF". So in that case you need to load only specific portion of the page, which itself is not a good idea.

You can create a Sandbox solution if you don't want to deploy your solution on farm. This will be deployed only on your site collection.

Answer 2

it is possible but will give you far more work than what its intended for!

if you are keen to persue than.

on feature activated event you need to add the webpart from that section!

the problem is selecting what webapplication and keeping a recored of where its activated on!

so the simpler solution would be to create a feature that deploys a webpart. This webpart is the master webpart that holds records of other features and the webparts they hold. when you deploy a feature from the webpart it will add the webpart to the desigered location you select on the webpart!

do you get where im going with this? to clarify, you have a master feature that contains a master webpart, the master webpart is on a page. It has a list of features that you can activate.... click on the feature within the webpart and it will take you to another tab or somthing on the lines of that or using ajax it drops down to show where its currently deployed to (webapplication url, webpart name ect). also within this section you have a deploy button with a dropdown list, the dropdown list contains a list of all webapplication... select one and click deploy. once done it will add it to the list above of all deployed webapplications related to the feature.. to get the feature to deploy the webpart to the correct location you selected you need to pass that value onto the feature meaning you need to add that part into every feature you create!

its messy but the only way i think would be feasable!

Answer 3

You can remove the .webpart file from the WSP. I have had to do this myself when only wanting certain site collections and web applications to be able to use the web part. The WSP file is a CAB file. If you rename the WSP file from mypart.wsp to mypart.cab, you will be able to remove .webpart file from the solution and store it some where else. So when you have removed the .webpart file, delete it from the solution, rename the solution back to .wsp, then rebuild/republish the soultion with out the web part in the solution. This will deploy all of your features and everything needed to run the web part. Take your webpart.webpart file and upload it to the web part library in your Site Settings to whatever web application you want. You do have to remove the .webpart file from the solution to make this work.