Best way to share information between different instances of a web part

Question

Hello,
I'm developing a web part that will make changes to a A.D. OU. I don't want to grant the application user rights to the OU and I would like to store the information inside the web part, but dynamically, something like:
static string username="";
static string password = "";
static string OU = "";
So, when the web part find these strings empty ( for ex after IIS restart) , it would ask for username/password and store them at the static strings. Someone (the administrator?) would fetch the page (with the webpart) and fill the strings. The next user
that will come to the page, he shouldn't  be asked for filling up the username/password.
So, I need to share information between instances of the same web part. Can it be done with static variables? Is there any other better solution?
Will this work with the same web part in 2-3-4 pages?
Thank you
Christos

Answer 1

Hi Xristosk,
From a security perspective and also in the interest of making the solution more robust (e.g. I don't think the admin is going to be too happy if he needs to enter in a username/password pair each time an IISReset happens, or the web server dies) what I'd
suggest (and typically do) is to separate the request from the actual performing of the work.
E.g. Keep the username/password pairs out of the web part configuration completely, and instead just make the web part be a form that submits to a list (or db) for the required change. 
Then you can have a separate process (e.g. timer job or windows scheduled task) that has permission to read from the SharePoint list, and also has permission to write into the AD OU.  In terms of storing usernames/passwords - typically you'll want to
avoid doing this.  If you have to then you can consider the Secure Store Service (preferred).  What I'd be most inclined to do is not store any password at all, and instead make sure that the account that the timer job or the scheduled task runs
as has appropriate permission to write into AD.
To answer the last part of your request, because the actual request is separated from the 'doing of the work' then this approach will work fine with 1,2,3,4, n pages.
HTH
-Michael.
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