Unable to connect to custom controllers after enabling localization

Question

We enabled localization for one of the publications and we can see all the Tridion pages in our website. But when we try to access any custom controllers or DXA controllers, we get 404 error.

The entries in Global.asax for enabling the Controllers are in this format:

routes.MapRoute(
   "Core_Admin",
   "admin/{action}",
   new { controller = "Admin", action = "Refresh" }
);
routes.MapRoute(
   "Core_Admin_Loc",
   "{localization}/admin/{action}",
   new { controller = "Admin", action = "Refresh" }
);

Please note that this code works for a site which has no localization set. So it seems to be an issue in the {localization} field of the route mapping.

The localization information set in Topology manager is:

CmEnvironmentId     : Tridion_cm_*****
PublicationId       : tcm:0-91-1
EnvironmentPurpose  : Staging
WebApplicationId    : ****Website_RootWebApp
RelativeUrl         : /
PrimaryMappedUrl    : http://dev.*****.com/en/us/
IsOffline           : False
CdEnvironment       : 
Id                  : ****WebsiteMappingENUS
ExtensionProperties : {} 


ContextUrl           : /en/us
WebsiteId            : ***Website
EnvironmentPurpose   : Staging
CdEnvironment        : 
ScopedRepositoryKeys : {}
Id                   : ****Website_RootWebApp
ExtensionProperties  : {}


BaseUrls             : {http://dev.****.com, http://localhost:***}
CdEnvironmentId      : CdEnvironment1
EnvironmentPurpose   : Staging
CdEnvironment        : 
ScopedRepositoryKeys : {}
Id                   : ****Website

In Global.asax, if we replace the text {localization} with en/us/, the controller works.

Any help is appreciated.

Edit 1:

Updated the site localization information in Topology Manager to:

CmEnvironmentId     : Tridion_cm_******
PublicationId       : tcm:0-91-1
EnvironmentPurpose  : Staging
WebApplicationId    : ****Website_RootWebApp
RelativeUrl         : /en/us
PrimaryMappedUrl    : http://dev.****.com/en/us
IsOffline           : False
CdEnvironment       : 
Id                  : ****WebsiteMappingENUS
ExtensionProperties : {}



ContextUrl           : /
WebsiteId            : ***Website
EnvironmentPurpose   : Staging
CdEnvironment        : 
ScopedRepositoryKeys : {}
Id                   : ****Website_RootWebApp
ExtensionProperties  : {}

Still getting the same error.

Answer 1

ASP.NET does not allow URL path variables to contain a slash character (the path segment separator).

So, if you expect your localization to have multiple URL path segments, you have to define a route with multiple URL path variables. For example, {loc1}/{loc2}/whatever.

Answer 2

There is something fishy with your Topology Manager configuration: your ***Website_RootWebApp has a Context URL of /en/us. Note the contradiction: a root Web App has a Context URL / per definition.

Your DXA Web App is most likely indeed installed on website root level, so the Context URL in Topology Manager should be changed to reflect reality. The /en/us URL path should be the Relative URL of the appropriate Mapping in Topology Manager.