Microsoft IIS 10.0 Cookbook: Task-oriented recipes to manage your web server with ease

In this recipe, we will understand how to work with IIS 10.0's new features. We will have an overview of the following new features added to IIS 10.0:

HTTP/2 requests are now faster than ever. This feature is active by default with IIS 10.0 on Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10.

IIS 10.0 is easy and quick to install on Nano Server. You can manage IIS 10.0 remotely with PowerShell or the IIS Manager console. Nano Server is much faster, and consumes less memory and disk space that the full-fledged Windows Server. Rebooting is also faster so that you can manage time effectively.

IIS 10.0 support the subdomain feature for your parent domain name. This will really help you manage more subdomains with the same primary domain name.

IIS 10.0 adds a new, simplified PowerShell module for quick and easy management. You can use PowerShell to access server-management features remotely. It also supports existing WebAdministration cmdlets.

FTP is a simple protocol for transferring files. This system can transfer files inside your company LAN and WAN using the default port, 21. IIS 10.0 includes an FTP server that is easy to configure and manage.

FTPS is the same as FTP, with the only difference that it is secure. FTPS transfers data with SSL. We are going to use HTTPS port 443. For this, we need to create and install an SSL certificate that encrypts and decrypts data securely. SSL ensures that all data passed between web server and browser remains private and consistent during upload and download over private or public networks.

IIS 10.0 allows you to create multiple websites and multiple applications on the same server. You can easily manage and create a new virtual directory located in the default location or a custom location.

IIS 10.0 makes it easy to manage and create the virtual directories you require.

Before we run our web server either in operations or staging mode, we have to plan it. What type of website and application are we going to publish? For example, our website needs a server that supports .NET framework 4.5 on IIS 10.0. We need to know the supported operating system and hardware requirements.

Let's take a look at the requirements in detail.

We require an up-and-running IIS 10.0 instance. Security components should be installed. You should have administrative privileges.

Now, we are going to review the components and modules.

The combination of components and modules helps us implement application request processes and security settings quickly.

Introducing the IIS 10.0 architecture's components and modules

Let's discuss the components and modules available in IIS 10.0 Server in detail.

Overview of an HTTP request

Let's observe HTTP requests of IIS 10.0 IIS 7 and later versions have an HTTP request-processing flow similar to that of IIS 6.0 and below.

1. When a client browser initiates an HTTP request for a resource on the web server, HTTP.sys intercepts the request.
2. HTTP.sys contacts Windows Activation Service (WAS) to obtain information from the configuration store.
3. WAS requests configuration information from the configuration store, applicationHost.config.
4. The World Wide Web Publishing Service (WWW Service) receives configuration information, such as application pool and site configuration.
5. The WWW Service uses the configuration information to configure HTTP.sys.
6. WAS starts a worker process for the application pool to which the request was made.
7. The Worker Process processes the request and returns a response to HTTP.sys.
8. The client receives a response.

https://media-www-iis.azureedge.net/media/7188132/introduction-to-iis-architecture-101-overviewofhttprequest.png

Details of an HTTP request inside the worker process

In a worker process, an HTTP request passes through several ordered steps, called events, in the Web Server Core. At each event, a native module processes part of the request, such as authenticating the user or adding information to the event log. If a request requires a managed module, the native Managed Engine module creates an AppDomain, where the managed module can perform the necessary processing, such as authenticating a user with Forms Authentication. When the request passes through all of the events in the Web Server Core, the response is returned to HTTP.sys. The following figure shows an HTTP request entering the Worker Process:

https://media-www-iis.azureedge.net/media/7188126/introduction-to-iis-architecture-101-httprequestworkerproc.png

To step through this recipe, you will need a running Windows Server 2016 instance and installation media. You should have administrative privileges.

When your are running your web server, it will process the request through the default http port, which has a numeric value of 80. The firewall rule was already enabled in the installation process. Now we need to know whether it's working fine.

We will perform a simple test by opening a web browser such as Internet Explorer and type the server IP address, http://127.0.0.1/, or http://localhost/ in the browser address bar and hit Enter to run the application. You will see the default IIS welcome page.

Look at this screenshot, which shows IIS 10.0 running on Server 2016.

To step through this recipe, you will need a running IIS 10.0 instance on Windows Server 2016. For remote IIS management, you need to Install IIS management tools.

Remote management for IIS Server is an easy way to manage several IIS servers at the same time from a single window. You can manage websites and application pools remotely as well.

We require an up-and-running IIS 10.0 instance. You should have administrative privileges for IIS management.

We have installed IIS 10.0 with the default options and IIS 10.0 default website configuration. We also had an overview of wwwroot, logs, and the configuration window. This will help us find out where the wwwroot and logs folders are located. We also reviewed the basic and default configuration of websites, binding options, and limits.

In the next recipe, we will create and configure our own settings.

We need to create an HTML web page and have IIS 10.0 running. You will also require user administrator rights for hosting the site.

Once we check the Default Document configuration and find the index.html name already listed, we have to open the web page, and the default home page will open. The Default Document setting is very helpful for launching your website as you will select it and you need to tell IIS Server what your home page is.

We have to test whether the web page is working. You need an up-and-running IIS 10.0 server instance and a static HTML web page.

We have already created the index.html page and uploaded it in the IIS wwwroot directory.

Once you access your web page through IIS, the page is displayed through HTTP port 80. You can try uploading more pages.