Q: I have installed the System Center Configuration Manager 2012 Web Portal and performed the configuration, but when I access the website I get an error: "Cannot connect to the application server."

A:After configuring the System Center Configuration Manager 2012 Web Portal, when you try to access it by using the default address ofhttps://savdalcm12.savilltech.net/CMApplicationCatalog, an error is returned: Cannot connect to the application server, which the screen shotbelow shows. 

The solution is to install WCF Activation and HTTP Activation. This is performed through System Center Server Manager.

Go to Add Features, .NETFramework 3.5.1 Features, WCF Activation (see screen shot below).

After the WCF Activation and HTTP Activation is installed, trying to access the site will now result in a different, and worse, error (I know, thisdoesn't seem like progress). 

The solution is actually easy. The problem is caused because the WCF HTTP activation was installed after IIS and the .NET Framework. You just need toregister the ASP.NET with IIS using the ASPNET_REGIIS.EXE tool:

C:WindowsMicrosoft.NETFramework64v4.0.30319>aspnet_regiis.exe -iru 

You'll see the following:

Start installing ASP.NET (4.0.30319).
......
Finished installing ASP.NET (4.0.30319).

The website should now work fine (see screen shot below).

See more FAQs about Windows and all of Microsoft's products, as well as VMware, Citrix, and more, at John Savill's FAQs here at Windows IT Pro!