Parse-server: Unable to save Anonymous user

[Jinoooo]

Setup parse-server on AWS, and passed the CRUD transactions successfully. In my app which is working with parse.com, i switched to my hosted parse-server and it fails when trying the save anonymous user. Even the simple query fails. See codes below:

Environment Setup

> iOS SDK: 1.12.0
> hosted on AWS with the following package.son file:

 {
  "name": "parse-server-example",
   "version": "1.3.0",
   "description": "An example Parse API server using the parse-server module",
   "main": "index.js",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/ParsePlatform/parse-server-example"
   },
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
     "express": "~4.11.x",
     "kerberos": "~0.0.x",
     "parse": "~1.6.12",
     "parse-server": "~2.1.6"
   },
   "scripts": {
     "start": "node index.js"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=4.3"
   }
 }

Steps to reproduce when saving current user

    // save the new anonymous user
    if ([PFUser currentUser].isDirty) {
        [[PFUser currentUser] saveInBackgroundWithBlock:^(BOOL succeeded, NSError *error) {
            if (error) {
                DLog(@"Anonymous login failed.");
            } else {
                DLog(@"Anonymous user logged in.");
            }
        }];

Logs/Trace

[Error]: unauthorized (Code: 0, Version: 1.12.0)
[AppDelegate syncWithCloud]_block_invoke [Line 681] Anonymous login failed.

Steps to reproduce when query a class

+ (void) queryEvents {
    DLog(@" *** QueryEvents started...");
    PFQuery *query = [PFQuery queryWithClassName:kParseClassEvent];
    [query orderByDescending:@"status,name"];
    query.limit = 500;  // By default, results are limited to 100, but anything from 1 to 1000 is a valid limit:
    query.cachePolicy = kPFCachePolicyNetworkElseCache;

    // Run the query
    [query findObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock:^(NSArray *objects, NSError *error) {
        if (!error) {
            DLog(@"**** query results count: %lu", (unsigned long)objects.count);
            [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:kQueryEventsDidFinishNotification object:objects];
        }
        else { // something bad happened
            DLog(@"**** something bad happened %ld:%@", (long)error.code ,error.description);
            [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:KQueryEventsDidFailNotification object:error];
        }
    }];
    DLog(@" *** QueryEvents ended ...");
}

Logs/Trace

[ParseUtil queryEvents]_block_invoke [Line 262] ** something bad happened 120:Error Domain=Parse Code=120 "Cache miss." UserInfo={error=Cache miss., NSLocalizedDescription=Cache miss., code=120}

[gfosco]

Can you update your package.json to reference version 2.2.2 of parse-server, npm install and try again, and check the server logs for more information?

[Jinoooo]

Thanks for your reply.
I updated to 2.2.2 of parse-server and got the same error.
With the new added [Parse initializeWithConfiguration:], I had to get rid of the old code [Parse setApplicationId:]. Commenting that fixed the issue for the query events.
Note: It seems with latest iOS SDK, initializeWithConfiguration method still needs clientKey. Something that should be optional.

// Point Client to aws Parse Server, at least version 1.12 for iOS is required.
    [Parse initializeWithConfiguration:[ParseClientConfiguration configurationWithBlock:^(id<ParseMutableClientConfiguration> configuration) {
        configuration.applicationId = kParseAppId;
        configuration.clientKey = kParseClientKey;
        configuration.server = kParseServer;
 }]];

// No need to keep this line anymore
// [Parse setApplicationId:kParseAppId clientKey:kParseClientKey];

The anonymous login still fails with error:

Failed to run command eventually with error: Error Domain=Parse Code=0 "unauthorized" UserInfo={error=unauthorized, NSLocalizedDescription=unauthorized, temporary=0}

I deleted the app and re-installed it with clean cache. Same error!
Checked the AWS server log, and couldn't find anything specific to this error. Should say I am not that familiar with AWS logging mechanism. Seems there is a way to log the request/response using Lambda but not there yet.

[flovilmart]

Did you set the client key on when initializing parse-server?

[Jinoooo]

No. Just appID and masterKey.
Do I need to?

On Mar 29, 2016, at 9:38 AM, Florent Vilmart [email protected] wrote:

Did you set the client key on when initializing parse-server?

—
You are receiving this because you modified the open/close state.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub

[flovilmart]

Yeah most likely as you,re sending it from the client I'm not sure parse-server likes it :)

[Jinoooo]

Sure, I give it a try when I get home.

On Mar 29, 2016, at 12:40 PM, Florent Vilmart [email protected] wrote:

Yeah most likely as you,re sending it from the client I'm not sure parse-server likes it :)

—
You are receiving this because you modified the open/close state.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub

[gfosco]

In my opinion, no client keys should be set on the server (Rest, client, windows, js), and then no client keys are required from the clients (even though you can set/send them.) If any are set on the server, then all requests require them. You will figure this out. Unauthorized means you're not using the right combination of server / appId or there's a client key set and it doesn't match.

[Jinoooo]

I just followed the document, which says no client key is required, and I didn't set the clientKey on the server side.
The problem is iOS SDK won't let you to pass null for client key, therefore it seems it would be a must-have key on the server side, which doesn't make sense!
I will test it this afternoon and report back.

On Mar 29, 2016, at 1:01 PM, Fosco Marotto [email protected] wrote:

In my opinion, no client keys should be set on the server (Rest, client, windows, js), and then no client keys are required from the clients (even though you can set/send them.) If any are set on the server, then all requests require them. You will figure this out. Unauthorized means you're not using the right combination of server / appId or there's a client key set and it doesn't match.

—
You are receiving this because you modified the open/close state.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub

[Jinoooo]

Also, wondering why I get a successful query response back from server, but unable to save anonymous user?
If key combination is wrong, shouldn't both be rejected as unauthorized?

On Mar 29, 2016, at 1:01 PM, Fosco Marotto [email protected] wrote:

In my opinion, no client keys should be set on the server (Rest, client, windows, js), and then no client keys are required from the clients (even though you can set/send them.) If any are set on the server, then all requests require them. You will figure this out. Unauthorized means you're not using the right combination of server / appId or there's a client key set and it doesn't match.

—
You are receiving this because you modified the open/close state.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub

[gfosco]

The client can send a key, and the server will ignore it... As for the save
issue, that's why you'll need to do some more troubleshooting/logging to
pinpoint the issue.

On Tuesday, March 29, 2016, Mike [email protected] wrote:

Also, wondering why I get a successful query response back from server,
but unable to save anonymous user?
If key combination is wrong, shouldn't both be rejected as unauthorized?

On Mar 29, 2016, at 1:01 PM, Fosco Marotto <[email protected]

In my opinion, no client keys should be set on the server (Rest, client,
windows, js), and then no client keys are required from the clients (even
though you can set/send them.) If any are set on the server, then all
requests require them. You will figure this out. Unauthorized means you're
not using the right combination of server / appId or there's a client key
set and it doesn't match.

—
You are receiving this because you modified the open/close state.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub

—
You are receiving this because you modified the open/close state.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/ParsePlatform/parse-server/issues/1230#issuecomment-203042477

[Jinoooo]

@flovilmart was right, parse-server didn't like it :) Adding the clientKey on the server side fixed the issue. It seems at least for iOS SDK 1.12.0 we need clientKey on the server side.
Seems like a bug to me!

[flovilmart]

we'll have a look some time, I refactored at one point the key checking algorithm a while ago but I can't seem to remember what the expected behaviour is. If you pass a client key and the server don't have one, maybe the server should let is pass, maybe not... I'm lost. Glad it fixed it.