Integrated Setup Wizard

Before installing IIS and associated components, make sure that your Windows operating system is setup with the following:

TCP/IP : IIS requires Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP/IP provides the Internet connectivity necessary for retrieving data from the Internet and for hosting a site on the Internet.

NTFS : IIS require use of NTFS file system for SMTP service. NTFS allows users to limit access to files and directories on a Windows NT Server. The use of NTFS is key to maintaining a secure Internet server and is necessary component of SMTP service.

IP Address for Server : Simply installing components of the Windows NT Option Pack – including IIS does not require a static IP address. However, if you intend to use IIS to publish content to the Internet, you should have a static IP address or at least an address that very rarely changes.

The minimum installation option conserves hard

disk space and offers the following limited components:

  • Internet Information Server – A Web server that uses TCP/IP to host Web sites on the corporate Intranet or the Internet.
  • File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Service – Installs the necessary components to operate an FTP server.
  • SMTP Service – Supports Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
  • Microsoft Management Console (MMC) – Provides the ability to custom design administration tools taht “snap-in”. The MMC creates a uniform look and feel, regardless of the administration tool being used.
  • Internet Service Manager snap-in – Offers complete control of your Web and FTP sites with a wizard driven graphical interface.
  • Internet Service Manager (HTML) – Administers your Web and FTP sites from across the Intranet or Internet by using a Web browser.
  • Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) – A transaction processing system for developing, deploying and managing distributed server applications. A transaction is a server operation that succeeds or fails as a whole, even if the operating system involves many steps. MTS also supports process isolation of applications.
  • Microsoft Data Access Components – Eases use of databases with support for a variety of connections including Microsoft Active X Data Objects with Remote Data Service and OLEDB.
  • Windows NT Option Pack Common Files – Core program files needed by all components.

The Typical Installation option includes all the components offered in the minimum installation option in addition to the following components:

Active Server Pages: Enables you to use server side scripting and components to create browser independent dynamic content.

Documentation : Provides you with online documentation covering server administration, content management, and content development, including indexing, scripting and programming.

Front Page Extensions: Makes it possible for you to use Microsoft FrontPage to manage your Web site and to create the web site content.

Index Server: Creates a site index and search for text in a variety of formats.

Microsoft Script Debugger: Provides you with a comprehensive debugging environment for testing and correcting errors in your Web document scripts. You can use Microsoft Script Debugger to debug both client scripts and server scripts.

Windows Scripting Host : Enables you to use Cscript or Wscript to administer servers from the command line.

The custom installation option offers a choice of all components included with the Windows NT Option Pack. In addition to the previously listed components, the following options are available:

Certificate Server : Enables you to issue your own client and server certificates.

Internet Connection Services for RAS : Core Windows NT services that facilitate the creation of secure, seamless virtual private networks (VPN) and improved dial-up connections.

NNTP Service: Support Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) used for discussion groups.

Site Server Express: Makes it possible for you to analyze activity logs to determine site usage statistics and check links on your Web site to be sure they are functioning properly.

Visual InterDev RAD Remote Deployment Support: Enables the remote deployment of applications on your Web server.

The Integrated Setup Wizard provides users with a one step setup for the Windows NT Option Pack and all of its components. During setup, users select the components they wish to install and answer configuration questions. Then the wizard completes the setup process.

  1. Internet Service Manager Snap-in
  2. Internet Service Manager (HTML)
  3. Scripting

Internet Service Manager (ISM).

The specific MMC snap-in that allows users to configure IIS is called the Internet Service Manager (ISM).

The ISM helps to configure and monitor all IIS services running on a Windows NT Server network operating system. Starting the ISM adds a node to the MMC from which you can administer IIS services.

To start the Internet Service manager:

  • Click Start, point to Programs, point to Windows NT Option Pack, point to Microsoft Internet Information Server, and then click Internet Service Manager.

This opens the MMC main window and one child window.

The ISM snap-in provides the following band of administrative tools for the server on the Rebar of the child window:

  • User Manager : To manage user and group accounts
  • Server Manager : To manage server properties, services and file sharing.
  • Event Viewer : To monitor server hits and record network related events.
  • Performance Monitor : To monitor server performance.
  • Key Manager : To manage user authentication codes.

ISM provides additional administrative functions such as creating directories and configuring property sheets through the Action menu on the Rebar.

 

Configure IIS setting through the MMC

There are two primary tools provided to perform administrative functionality with IIS. The Internet Service Manager snap-in allows you to configure IIS setting through the MMC.

The Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) version of the Internet Service Manager allows you to configure IIS settings remotely via Web access. Additionally, you can also use scripting to automate management of IIS routines.

HTML based administration allows administrators to manage the Web Server or individual web sites remotely from any industry standard web browser that supports frames and JScript.

With IIS, you can manage your servers remotely from anywhere on the Internet or company Intranet. Managers can conduct WWW and FTP administration from a Web browser in what is known as HTML administration or HTMLA. However, you cannot manager SMTP or NNTP services using HTMLA.

The HTML version of the Internet Service Manager provides most of the same features and functions of the ISM snap-in for the MMC. A user can manage accounts, track event logs, monitor performance, adjust server properties, administer authentication keys, and perform other server management functions using either HTMLA or the MMC. Although HTMLA offers many of the same features as the snap-in property changes such as certificate mapping which require co-ordination with Windows NT utilities cannot be made with HTMLA.

The HTMLA tool relies on integrated component architecture.

Command Line Administration Scripting

Command Line Administration Scripting allows administrators to manage their Web sites from the command line, providing administrators with the ability to write a script to automate repetitive tasks.

Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) is a programming model that provides automatic support for transactions, thread management, database connection pooling, process isolation, and other mission critical programming functionality required for multiuser web server applications. MTS allows developers to capitalize on their existing knowledge of popular tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Visual J++ in creating desktop applications to create reliable and scalable data-driven web applications.