IIS03W/IIS03S/IIS03E/IIS03DC: Internet Information Server appliances

	At a Glance
	Catalog	system_ms
	Category	Web Servers
	User volumes	yes
	Min. memory	256 MB (x86), 768 MB (x64)
	OS	Windows
	Constraints	no
	Questions/Comments	Ask Forum

Functional Overview

IIS serves static web content and executes scripts from a user-configurable read-only content volume. The paths to the documents and scripts are configurable, so that the same volume can be shared between multiple web servers and/or other appliances serving different content.

IIS has three generic output terminals intended for accessing external services from scripts on the content volume. The db terminal is for accessing a database; the fs terminal is for accessing shared file storage (using CIFS); and the aux terminal is for sending e-mail messages to an SMTP server.

The log terminal can be used to connect IIS to a shared file system on which IIS can store its logs.

The configuration of the IIS server is provided through properties. The properties are designed to cover most uses in an easily configurable way. Typically, only a few need to be set to non-default values.

If the features provided by the IIS appliance do not meet your needs, please contact our TechnicalSupport to discuss the possible options. We may be able to extend the catalog by providing appliances that cover your needs.

IIS03y is not distributed with AppLogic. Please see the installation reference for instructions on creating IIS03y from a base windows server appliance.

Boundary

Resources

Terminals

The default interface is enabled. The default interface is used by the appliance to report to AppLogic that it has booted successfully. It can also be used to log in over secure shell to the appliance from the AppLogic controller, primarily for diagnostic and troubleshooting purposes.

User Volumes

The volume may provide static and/or dynamic content.

Properties

Property name	Type	Description
content_on_fs	String	Specifies whether the content is relative to the file system at the fs terminal or is on the content volume. Allowed values are on and off. If set to on, all content is relative to the file system at the fs terminal. If set to off, the content is on the content volume. Default: off
docs_dir	String	Root directory on the content or remote NAS volume where the documents to be served are located. For example, it may be /mydocs. This property is convenient to use when more than one IIS server shares the content volume and each server needs its own documents. If docs_dir is set to /, the root directory of the content volume is used. The directory must be pre-existing on the content volume. Default: /
logs_enabled	String	Controls whether IIS logging is enabled. Allowed values are on and off. If set to on and the log terminal is connected, then logs will be stored on the remote NAS appliance, on the cifs share. If set to on and the log terminal is not connected, then logs will be stored on the Windows boot drive, in the default location (C:\WINDOWS\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1\*). If this is set to off, logs are completely disabled. Default: off
logs_base_dir	String	Directory where IIS's logs are stored. This propery has no effect if logs_enabled is set to 'off' or log terminal is not connected. Default: /

All enumerated string properties are not case sensitive (lowercase). All other string properties are case sensitive.

Advanced Properties

These are additional properties that should normally not need to be configured. They can be used to tune up IIS in non-standard circumstances.

All enumerated string properties are not case sensitive (lowercase). All other string properties are case sensitive.

Custom Counters

The following counters belong to the W3SVC counter group:

The counter's pace in the appliance is set to 2s. If you are using graphs via the MON appliance to monitor these counters, the pace for the graphs need to be set to 2s or multiple of 2s.

Error Messages

Memory Usage

IIS configures itself automatically to run with a wide range of available memory in order to fit applications of different size and load. Despite this, please note that the configuration calculation cannot predict the memory usage of dynamic-content scripts that may be installed on the IIS's content volume, and a misbehaving script can cause the server to malfunction by overcomitting memory and causing the OS to kill processes.

By default, IIS configures the maximum number of active connections assuming (32-bit version):

• 64MB for system use (OS kernel and system services) and 64MB for IIS core
• 2.5MB per active connection

For example, in the 'sandbox' configuration with 256M, the max number of active connections will be set to 51.

The maximum number of connections can be limited below the automatically computed value using the max_connections property. Note that if max_connections is above the limit imposed by the available system memory, it is trimmed without warning.

TIP: If a memory-heavy application starts misbehaving under load (drops connections), and increasing the available memory is not an option, try setting the max_connections property to a lower value. This will reduce the possible number of script instances that run at the same time, giving each instance more memory to run in.

Setting Up The Content, Shared File Storage

This section provides useful information for configuring scripts that serve dynamic content.

Fixed Directory Names

On starting the HTTP server, the following directories and files are available within the filesystem space of the IIS instance (using absolute directory names outside of these locations in any script or configuration file is not recommended):

D:\ - web root, visible as '/' to the client. This refers to a location on the content volume and is read-only.

\\fs\share - root of the shared read/write file storage provided by a NAS server connected to the fs terminal.

Access Control

Files on the content volume should have 'read' permission for Everyone, to be eligible for serving through HTTP.

To serve dynamic content from the remote file system share, IIS03y appliance in the application must be configured as follows:

• Verify that required web service extensions are enabled:
  • in the IIS manager, select Web Service Extensions and set Allowed for Active Server Pages, ASP.NET v2.0.50727 and Server Side Includes
• Set Full Trust on the remote filesystem:
  • in a cmd shell execute:

          x86: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\CasPol.exe -m -ag 1 -url "file:////\\fs\share\*" FullTrust -exclusive on
    
          or
    
          x64: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\CasPol.exe -m -ag 1 -url "file:////\\fs\share\*" FullTrust -exclusive on
          

• Restart IIS:
  • In the IIS manager, select Local Computer=>All Tasks=>Restart IIS

Replace "file:////\\fs\share\*" with a correct path if required (repeat the command for multiple folders)

Web Service Extensions

IIS03y appliances are configured with the following Web Service Extension settings, which can be modified in the IIS manager:

Sending E-mail

The 'IIS SMTP' system is not configured on IIS. Do not use it for sending e-mail from this appliance. In all cases, your SMTP mailer should be set up to use aux as the hostname of the SMTP server. See the use cases for examples on how to use IIS03y with email.

Typical Usage

Static web site

Appliances in use:

• usr - input gateway for user requests
• iis - web server with static and/or dynamic content (e.g., ASP.NET scripts)

Client requests arrive on the usr gateway. The gateway forwards the requests to the iis web server.

Example property configuration:

2-tier application with database

Appliances in use:

• usr - input gateway for user requests
• iis - web server with static and/or dynamic content (e.g., ASP.NET scripts)
• sql - database

Client requests arrive on the usr gateway. The gateway forwards the requests to the iis web server. The web server accesses the sql database.

Example property configuration:

2-tier application with database and log

Appliances in use:

• usr - input gateway for user requests
• iis - web server with static and/or dynamic content (e.g., ASP.NET scripts)
• db - database
• logs - storage for web and database log files

Client requests arrive on the usr gateway. The gateway forwards the requests to the iis web server. The web server accesses the db database. iis and db both write their logs to the logs appliance through their log terminals.

Example property configuration:

2-tier application with shared file system and e-mail gateway

Appliances in use:

• usr - input gateway for user requests
• iis - web server with static and/or dynamic content (e.g., ASP.NET scripts)
• config - storage for web content
• mail - a firewalled output gateway to an e-mail server

Client requests arrive on the usr gateway. The gateway forwards the requests to the iis web server. The web server's content is located on config and is being accessed from iis though the fs terminal. iis writes its logs to the config appliance through the log terminal.

The web application is able to send outbound e-mails through the aux terminal of iis via the mail gateway.

Example property configuration:

Scalable 2-tier application

Appliances in use:

• usr - input gateway for user requests
• webs - web load-balancer for user requests
• iis1 and iis2 - web servers with static and/or dynamic content (e.g., ASP.NET scripts)
• db - database
• config - storage for web content
• logs - storage for web and database log files
• mail - a firewalled output gateway to an e-mail server

Client requests arrive on the usr gateway. The gateway forwards the requests to the webs load balancer, which directs the request to one of the web servers iis1 or iis2. The web servers access the db database. The web servers' content is located on the shared config appliance and is being accessed though the fs terminals. Both web servers write their logs to the logs appliance through their log terminals.

The web application is able to send outbound e-mails through the aux terminal of iisy via the mail gateway.

In addition, an administrator can log in through the admin gateway to the logs appliance and view log files.

Example property configuration:

Notes and Links

The appliance hostname (set to appliance instance name) cannot be longer than 15 characters. Setting the appliance instance name to more than 15 characters will result in a hostname truncated to the 15th character.

• For problems and suggestions, please contact TechnicalSupport.

Open source and 3rd party software used inside of the appliance

IIS03x uses the following 3rd party open source packages in addition to the 3rd party open source packages used by its base class WIN03x.

To see the full list of open source packages used in this appliance, please see its implementation design.

Related Documents

• Test Plan
• Implementation Design

Questions and Comments

To post a question or comment on this appliance, visit our forum.

-- OlegSmolov - 07 Oct 2009