Chapter 13. IIS 7 and XML
This chapter covers
- Comparing PowerShell techniques for working with IIS
- Administering web sites and application pools
- Managing web applications and virtual directories
- Working with XML and configuration files
Internet Information Server (IIS) has been part of Windows since the days of the NT. The primary use of IIS is to host web-based applications by delivering web pages. It’s also one of the supporting technologies for a number of other applications including Exchange, SharePoint, and SQL Server (in the form of Reporting Services). IIS appears in so many places that knowledge of how to administer it is a “must-have” skill for many administrators.
In this chapter we’ll concentrate on IIS itself, though the skills and techniques acquired here will be usable wherever IIS is encountered. The chapter concentrates on IIS 7 and 7.5 on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, respectively. It may be possible to take some of the techniques and work with IIS 6 (Windows Server 2003), especially the use of WMI, though it should be noted that the WMI providers in IIS 6 and IIS 7 are different.
IIS servers are often deployed in web farms—a number of identically configured machines all providing the same application (or applications). This scenario is perfect for automation, in that we need to perform exactly the same actions on a number of servers and we can save wear and tear on our legs by not having to walk round the server farm.