ASP.NET is a unified Web application platform that provides services to help you build and deploy enterprise-class Web applications and XML-based Web services. ASP.NET is supported on the Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and Windows Server 2003, Web Edition operating systems. ASP.NET is installed with the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 as a part of Windows Server 2003. However, to run ASP.NET applications, you must also install IIS 6.0.
Important |
ASP.NET is not available on the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition; the 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; and the 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. For more information, see "Features unavailable on 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family" in Help and Support Center for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. |
The deployment process presented in this chapter describes how to deploy ASP.NET applications on a newly installed IIS 6.0 Web server. Before you begin this process, complete the following steps:
Install Windows Server 2003, which includes version 1.1 of the .NET Framework, with the default options.
Install IIS 6.0 with the default settings in Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel.
If you need to install ASP.NET applications that were written for IIS 5.0 or version 1.0 of the .NET Framework on a new Web server, see "Migrating IIS Web Sites to IIS 6.0" in this book. If you want to upgrade a Web server running IIS 5.0 that is hosting existing ASP.NET applications, see "Upgrading an IIS Server to IIS 6.0" in this book.
When you configure IIS 6.0 to run in IIS 5.0 isolation mode, the settings in the <processModel> section of the Machine.config file are configured in the same way as they were in IIS 5.0 — in the Machine.config or Web.config files. For more information about configuring ASP.NET applications when IIS 6.0 is configured to run in IIS 5.0 isolation mode, see "ASP.NET Configuration" in IIS 6.0 Help, which is accessible from IIS Manager.
Upon completing the process described in this chapter, you will have a Web server running IIS 6.0 and hosting your ASP.NET applications. However, you can further configure the Web server to improve the security and availability of your ASP.NET applications. For more information about configuring your Web server to improve the security and availability of your ASP.NET applications, see "Securing Web Sites and Applications" and "Ensuring Application Availability" in this book.
Note |
The configuration settings discussed in this chapter are appropriate for Web sites and applications that are hosted on Web servers on an intranet and the Internet, unless specifically noted. |
The process for deploying new ASP.NET applications on a newly installed Web server requires no understanding of earlier versions of IIS or the .NET Framework. All of the ASP.NET configuration sections in the Machine.config and Web.config files are configured the same way in IIS 6.0, except for the <processModel> section of the Machine.config file. When IIS 6.0 is configured to run in worker process isolation mode, some of the attributes in the <processModel> section of the Machine.config file are now in equivalent IIS 6.0 metabase properties. For more information about how to migrate attributes in the Machine.config file to their equivalent IIS 6.0 metabase property settings, see "Migrating Machine.config Attributes to IIS 6.0 Metabase Property Settings" in "Upgrading an IIS Server to IIS 6.0" in this book.
In addition, if your ASP.NET applications need to retain session state, you must configure IIS 6.0 to use the appropriate ASP.NET application session state method. Depending on the method you select, you might need to configure the ASP.NET state service or Microsoft SQL Server™ to act as the repository for centralized state storage.
The process for deploying ASP.NET applications in IIS 6.0 is shown in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: Deploying ASP.NET Applications in IIS 6.0
Note |
Before deploying your ASP.NET applications on a production server, perform the process outlined in this chapter on a test server that is configured identically to your production server. |
The following quick-start guide provides a detailed overview of the process for deploying ASP.NET applications in IIS 6.0. You can use this guide to help identify the steps of the ASP.NET application deployment process that you need additional information to complete, and to skip the steps with which you are already familiar. In addition, all of the procedures that are required to complete the ASP.NET application deployment process are documented in "IIS Deployment Procedures" in this book.
Install Windows Server 2003.
Install and configure IIS 6.0.
Enable ASP.NET in the Web service extensions list.
Create Web sites and virtual directories for each ASP.NET application by doing the following:
Create Web sites and home directories.
Create virtual directories.
Copy ASP.NET application content to the Web server.
Enable common storage for ASP.NET session state by completing the following steps:
Select the method for maintaining and storing ASP.NET session state.
If you decided to maintain session state with the ASP.NET state service, configure out-of-process session state with the ASP.NET state service.
If you decided to maintain session state with SQL Server, configure out-of-process session state with SQL Server.
Configure encryption and validation keys.
Configure ASP.NET to the use the appropriate session state.
Secure the ASP.NET session state connection string.
Ensure the security and availability of your ASP.NET applications.
Verify that the ASP.NET applications were deployed successfully.
Back up the Web server.
Enable client access to your ASP.NET applications.