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Configuring IIS to setup your web site, it could be internal to your own
network or on the internet... |
IIS - Internet
Information Service
Before you start configuring IIS you need to understand why you
need a Web Server. A web server requires extended knowledge of security, server
side applications, and sometimes data bases.
Why do you need a web server?
- Maybe you have a static IP for your business and you
want to have a domain on the WWW or internet to increase your sales, customer
base, or just to promote your business.
- You want a web server for only your employees to
access.
- Maybe you are a student and need to be configuring IIS
for a lab or class.
- You can have a web server for your internal network
or for access by the internet.
- Suppose you want a web server for your employees only
for time accounting, bulletins, or your policies.
- Or you want your customers to see your products and
order directly from the web site.
If you want an internal only web site then the
considerations for a domain name and security will be easier to setup.
If you want the web server to be visible on the internet
then you will have more strenuous configuring IIS considerations for the domain name and
security.
So lets get to configuring IIS!
Before you start your install insure you have the latest
version and updates for .Net, this will simplify your web site creation.
 You will need the server installation cd to load the web server
service, first make
sure you have a few items completed before you install the web server.
If you are going to have access from out side of your
network from the WWW or internet you need to insure your security is up to
speed.
You or your Network Engineer will have to open port 80 on your firewall
and router, then write rules for inbound traffic to the port for access to only the web server and
no where else. Also on the volume where the IIS service is to be installed
remove the groups 'Everyone' and 'Users' if you have not done so already, this is a prime
target for hackers.
Next you need to decide what server will get the web server service. Adding
the web server service to a server that has a lot of other services will over load the
server. I do not recommend you put it on these servers: Domain Controller, File
and Print server, Data base server. The additional traffic that a web server (especially
a internet web server) will have will impact services for your local network if
the server has to support them also.
You may want to consider putting your Web site on a
DMZ (Digital Media Zone)
Starting the Configuring IIS
Once you have the security, the domain, and the server
tasks complete you are ready for configuring IIS server service. I do not recommend using the default path when
you setup you IIS service. By this I mean you should not install the IIS service
and web site on the C: or system drive. There is an
inherent security risk of doing this: It opens the System or C: drive up to
Everyone! This means that if someone whom has the knowledge of hacking can
and will hack your server and this could be disastrous to your business.
When you setup your IIS ideally you should have a
separate volume (or drive) to install it on. In this example I setup my IIS
server service on a small volume labeled the E: drive. Because I was writing an
e-book I made allowances for the small volume when I set up the server. You may
not have this luxury because you server is already built and you do not have the
extra space for a new volume. It doesn't need to be very large 10 or 20 gig is
more than sufficient even if you have a lot of graphics. I have a web site on a
separate 5 gig volume that has about three gigs of space open, and it is mostly
car graphics for my car web site.
This Configuring IIS
was
extracted from the Build a Server Guide.
Before begin you will need to read these instructions
and make an answer file if you are not using the default path for the
installation.
To install your web host on a non-default drive you have to create what is
called an "answer file" this is a small file that points the installation
program to your specific drive for the installation. It looks like this:
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[Components]
iis_common = on
iis_inetmgr = on
iis_www = on
[InternetServer]
PathWWWRoot=E:\Inetpub\Wwwroot |
The main component of the answer file is the "PathWWWRoot=E:\Inetpub\Wwwroot"
this will install the Web host service, directories, and files on the E: drive
into the folder (directory) Interpub, with sub directories under it. You create
the file call it "iis.txt" and place it on the E:\ drive at the root. (The root
of the drive is start of the drive before any folders or directories are
created). In this sample the file name is iis.txt and is located on the drive I
wish to install the web host on - E: drive.
Note: If you copy the text from
this page be sure to put it in a plain text editor, otherwise you will get a lot
of the formatting coding from the web page mixed in with the text you want.
Note: This file needs to be created with a
'plain text editor' such as Notepad.exe.
The way you tell the installation program to do this is from the command line
and type in:
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| sysocmgr /i:%windir%\inf\sysoc.inf /u:e:\iis.txt |
Where "sysocmagr" is the install program, "/i:%windir%" is the windows directory on
the Windows install drive, "\inf\sysoc.inf" is the file that the install
program uses to create the file structure, copy the files, and creates the
registry entries. The "/u" tells the install program to use the iis.txt file to
create the file structure on the E: drive. Be sure to type in the spaces or copy
this the line to a plain text editor then to the command line.
Now you can insert the install cd and begin your
installation.
Once the software has completed your new web host
installation you will need to test the default settings, you can do this by
opening the IIS Manager (Start/Programs/Administrative Tools/Internet
Information Services or IIS) and then expand the tree in the left column out to
get to the Default Web Site, in the right hand window right click on 'iistart.htm'
and select browse, your browser should open and you should see the 'Under
Construction' page. You are ready to build your web site. You may want to look at
the browser and note the https://youserver/iistart.htm and go to a work station
and see if you can connect to the default web site if you can't then you will
need to look at the configuration of the web site itself.
You are done configuring IIS...
Congratulations, now you can begin to build your web
site! But before you do I have a word of caution for you:
Do NOT change the default IUSER_yourservername, some company's believe
that changing this to a Domain ID will increase security, IT DOES NOT, in
fact it decreases your security because it gives a hacker a path inside
your domain. Leave it at the default, if you change the name be sure you
understand how to get the security setup so that an anonymous user can access the
web site and not your Domain. And of course download and install all of the latest updates for the
IIS installation.
When you need it ...
Don't trash your sever with an older ERD! You need to make a custom Emergency Repair Disk (ERD)
for yourself! Check this out.
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