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Windows NT® Server's built-in Web server, Internet Information Server 4.0 (IIS), makes it easy to share documents and information across a company intranet or the Internet. IIS is the fastest Web server for Windows NT Server, and it is completely integrated with Windows NT Directory Services. This combination of Web and operating system services makes it possible for the first time to deploy scalable and reliable Web-based applications. This new generation of networked business solutions brings legacy data and applications to the Web, and lets companies redefine internal and external business processes.
What is Internet Information Server?
Microsoft® Internet Information Server is a Web server that enables you to publish information on a corporate intranet or on the Internet. Internet Information Server transmits information by using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Internet Information Server can also be configured to provide File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and gopher services. The FTP service enables users to transfer files to and from your Web site. The gopher service uses a menu-driven protocol for locating documents. The gopher protocol has been largely superseded by the HTTP protocol.
What Can I Do with Internet Information Server?
The creative possibilities of what you can offer on an Internet Information Server Web site are endless. Some familiar uses are to:
1. Publish a home page on the Internet for your business featuring a newsletter, sales information, or employment opportunities.
2. Publish a catalog and take orders from customers.
3. Publish interactive programs.
4. Provide your remote sales force easy access to your sales database.
5. Use an order-tracking database.
How Does Internet Information Server Work?
The Web is fundamentally a system of requests and responses. Web browsers request information by sending a URL to a Web server. The Web server responds by returning a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page.The HTML page can be a static page that has already been formatted and stored in the Web site, a page that the server dynamically creates in response to information provided by the user, or a page that lists the available files and folders on the Web site.
Web Browser URL Request
Every page on an intranet or on the Internet has a unique URL that identifies it. Web browsers request a page by sending a URL to a Web server. The server uses the information in the URL to locate and display the page.
URL syntax is a specific sequence of protocol, domain name, and path to the requested information. The protocol is the communication method used to gain access to information; for example, Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP). Internet Information Server supports the HTTP, FTP, and gopher protocols. The domain name is the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the computer that contains the information. The path is the path to the requested information on the computer.
A URL can also contain information that the Web server must process before returning a page. The data is added to the end of the path. The Web server passes the data to a program or a script for processing and returns the results in a Web page.
Web Server Response
A Web server responds to a Web browser request by returning an HTML page. The returned page can be one of three types: a static HTML page, a dynamic HTML page, or a directory-listing page.
Static Pages
Static pages are static HTML pages that are prepared in advance of the request. The Web server returns the HTML pages to the user, but takes no special action. The user requests a static page by typing in an URL (in the following illustration, http://www.company.com/home.htm) or by clicking a link pointing to an URL. The URL request is sent to the server. The server responds by returning the static HTML page.
Dynamic Pages
Dynamic pages are created in response to a user’s request. A Web browser collects information by presenting a page with text boxes, menus, and check boxes that the user fills in or selects. When the user clicks a button on a form, the data from the form is sent to the Web server. The server either passes the data to a script or application to be processed, or it queries or posts data to a database. The server returns the results to the user in an HTML page.
The following illustration shows how a user can send a query to an Internet Server API (ISAPI) application that adds two numbers. The user types the two numbers to be added, then clicks a button, which in turn sends the two numbers to the Web server. The Web server calls the ISAPI application to add the numbers, then returns the results to the user in an HTML page.
Directory Listing
If users might send queries without specifying a particular file, you can either create a default document for a Web site or for a particular directory, or you can configure your server for directory browsing. If no default document is created for a directory and directory browsing is configured, a directory listing (a hypertext version of a Windows Explorer or File Manager listing) is returned to the user in the form of an HTML page. The user can then jump to the appropriate file by clicking it in the directory listing. Rather than using directory listings, you can provide a default document.
How Do I Use Internet Information Server?
Internet Information Server is flexible enough to perform many important functions for your organization. It is scalable from supporting a single-server site to supporting large multi-server installations. For example, www.microsoft.com and www.msn.com are among the busiest Web sites on the Internet today, and both use multiple servers running Microsoft Internet Information Server.
One of the primary factors that determines the configuration and use of Internet Information Server is whether it will be used internally by employees on your intranet, or if it will be connected to the Internet.
The following scenarios are intended to help you understand the range of possibilities for using Internet Information Server.
Intranet Scenarios
Internet Information Server integrates well into almost any existing environment. Because Internet Information Server integrates Windows NT security and networking, you can often add the software to an existing computer and use existing user accounts. It is not necessary to use a dedicated computer to run Internet Information Server.
For example, in a small workgroup you can add Internet Information Server to an existing file and print server. The workgroup’s Web server can host personal Web-style pages, customized workgroup applications, serve as an interface to the workgroup’s Structured Query Language (SQL) database, or use Remote Access Service (RAS) to provide dial-up access to the workgroup’s resources from remote sites.
In a larger business with multiple departments or workgroups, each department might run Internet Information Server on an existing file server for workgroup-specific information. A central information server might be used for company-wide information, such as an employee manual or company directory.
Internet Scenarios
Internet Information Server can function as a simple dedicated Web server on the Internet.
In larger sites you can provide access from your internal network to the Internet Information Server, allowing employees to browse the server or to use authoring tools, such as Microsoft FrontPage™, to create content for your server.
Internet Information Server’s integration with all of the Windows NT services can also create servers with multiple functions. For example, a company with sites in different parts of the world can use Internet Information Server to provide communication between sites, with the added flexiblity of Internet access. You can even add RAS to an Internet Information Server to provide dial-up access to your intranet or the Internet.
Note Many scenarios for connecting to the Internet involve third-party routers or security devices that filter network packets between your computer and the Internet. Routers and other security devices are not indicated in the preceding illustrations.
This section defines the installation requirements and explains how to:
An alternative to DNS is to use a HOSTS file. On intranets an alternative to WINS Servers is to use an LMHOSTS file. Use the Network application in Control Panel to make the appropriate Advanced TCP/IP Configuration setting for this servers name resolution. For more information on installing and configuring WINS or DNS, see the Windows NT online Help.
If your server has another version of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), gopher, or World Wide Web (WWW) services installed (such as the FTP service included with Windows NT or the European Microsoft Windows Academic Centre [EMWAC] services included in the Windows NT Resource Kit), disable these services before you install the Microsoft Internet Information Server services. See the documentation for each service to see how to disable it.
Microsoft recommends that you select Yes to protect the contents of your system. If you choose the No option and enable guest access to your server, all existing files and any new files will be available to the Guest account through FTP. You will need to disable access to each file or folder individually to prevent unauthorized access. Disabling FTP access for the Guest account will not affect the IUSR_computername account that is created during setup.
If you do not install Internet Information Server while setting up Windows NT Server, you can install it separately any time afterward. To install Internet Information Server separately, you must be logged on with administrator privileges.
2. Double-click the Install Internet Information Server icon on the Windows NT Server Desktop.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen. If you have questions, click the Help button in any dialog box.
You can also install Internet Information Server by using the Windows NT Control Panel.
2. On the Windows NT taskbar, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. In Control Panel, double-click the Network icon.
4. On the Network property sheet, click the Services tab.
5. Click the Add button.
6. From the Network Services list, select Microsoft Internet Information Server, and then click the OK button.
7. In the Installed from box, type the letter of the drive where your compact disc is located, and click the OK button.
8. Follow the instructions on the screen. For information about any of the Setup dialog boxes, click the Help button.
Alternatively, you can install Internet Information Server directly from the Windows NT Server compact disc.
2. In Windows NT Explorer or at the command prompt, change to the drive containing the compact disc.
3. Start Setup:
2. All of the options in the second dialog box are selected by default. Click the OK button to install them all. If you do not want to install a particular item, clear the box next to it and then click the OK button to install the rest.
World Wide Web Service creates a WWW publishing server.
Gopher Service creates a gopher publishing server.
FTP Service creates an FTP publishing server.
ODBC Drivers and Administration installs Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers. These are required for logging to ODBC files and for enabling ODBC access through the Internet Database Connector (IDC) from the WWW service.
Sample files installs sample Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files.
You can use the Setup program later to add or remove components. Setup can also remove all Internet Information Server components.
Accept the default folders for the publishing services you have installed, or change the folders.
6. When prompted to create the service folders (Wwwroot, Gophroot, and Ftproot by default), click Yes.
7. Setup copies all remaining Internet Information Server files.
8. If the ODBC Drivers and Administration option box was selected, the Install Drivers dialog box appears.
Setup completes copying files.
This final step completes Peer Web Services Setup. Now you must close the Services property sheet and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
The preceding steps are all that is required for a simple installation. You are now ready to publish on the Internet or your intranet. There is no need to start Internet Service Manager unless you want to make advanced configuration changes. Use the Services application in Control Panel to confirm successful installation of the publishing services.
In the Inetsrv folder, there is an Unattend.txt file. Unattend.txt is a sample configuration file used by the program for unattended installation. You modify the values in the file to configure setup. In general, the value 1 represents TRUE and the value 0 represents FALSE. It is suggested that you copy Unattend.txt to the folder containing the Inetstp.exe file you will use, then modify it to meet your installation requirements.
To start unattended setup you must use the command prompt. Change to the folder containing both Inetstp.exe and Unattend.txt and type
inetstp -b unattend.txt
where Unattend.txt is the file you have modified. See Unattend.txt on the compact disc for more information about unattended setup.
Note If you change the anonymous user name account (IUSR_computername) in the Windows NT User Manager for Domains, Microsoft suggests you copy the IUSR_computername account and then give it a new name and password, rather than create an entirely new account. By copying the IUSR_computername account you are sure to carry over all the privileges and user rights granted to that account. Then change the anonymous user name and password in the Internet Service Manager, making sure it is the exactly same as the new user name and password created in the User Manager for Domains.
The WWW, FTP, and gopher services use the IUSR_computername user account by default when anonymous access is allowed. To set the rights for IUSR_computername, use User Manager. To set file permissions on NTFS drives for IUSR_computername, use Windows NT Explorer. To change the account used for anonymous logons for any of the Internet Services, select the Service Properties option from the Properties menu in Internet Service Manager.
Note If you provide files with the gopher or FTP services, you can share those files instantly. Users can navigate through the files much as they do in Windows NT Explorer or at the command prompt. With gopher, you can customize how your folders and files appear to browsers; you can also include links to other servers in your files. FTP can be used to accept files from or send files to Internet users.
Consider security issues carefully when using this feature. Remote users could possibly make changes to a network drive by using the permissions of the user name specified to connect to the network drive.
In this case, to view our version of Default.htm and the links it provides, type the following Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in the Internet Explorer Address box.
http://computername/samples/default.htm
This command loads the file Default.htm from the Wwwroot\Samples folder.
You can also rename or move your version of Default.htm to a different folder and then copy the file Default.htm from the Samples folder. This approach will make our version of Default.htm your Web servers home page.
2. Start Internet Explorer on a computer that has an active connection to the Internet. This computer can be the computer you are testing, although using a different computer is recommended.
3. Type in the URL for the home directory of your new Web server.
http://www.company.com/homepage.htm
then press the ENTER key. The home page should appear on the screen.
2. Start Internet Explorer.
3. Type in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the home directory of your new server.
http://admin1/homepage.htm
then press the enter key. The home page should appear on the screen.
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