Datasheet

The FTP service that ships with Windows Server 2008 is exactly the same as shipped in Server 2003.
However, the Microsoft IIS development team is also shipping a new FTP server that includes many of
the enhancements requested over the years. This server ships as a free download from
www.iis.net, as
will many supported and unsupported tools. For more about configuring FTP, see Chapter 10,
“Configuring Other Services.”
SMTP and POP Services
The SMTP service in Windows Server 2003 didn’t change much from previous versions, allowing for
greater flexibility and security but not altering the core SMTP functions. Most administrators would not
use the SMTP service in IIS for anything other than outbound mail, instead relying on third-party
servers or Microsoft’s Exchange Server for receiving and distributing mail. But the addition of a POP3
service in Server 2003 allowed a rudimentary mail server configuration, useful for testing or small mail
domains. Although SMTP can be used to transfer mail, most mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook rely
on the POP3 or IMAP protocols to retrieve mail, which was unavailable without additional products
until Windows Server 2003 and IIS 6.0.
IIS 7.0 Versions
Although there is really only a single version of IIS 7.0, the availability and capabilities vary with the
choice of operating system. Because IIS 7.0 is tied to the operating system, as were all versions of IIS
since IIS 4.0, it is not available on operating systems prior to Vista or Windows Server 2008. As in
Windows XP, the workstation operating systems have limited IIS functionality or no functionality at all.
Unlike in Windows XP, Vista versions have no concurrent HTTP connection limitations but instead use
concurrent request processing limitations. In XP, reaching a maximum concurrent HTTP connection limit
would result in IIS returning a 403.9 result code (too many users), while a request limitation merely
queues requests in the order received. The end result is slower response, but no errors.
Some Windows Server 2008 versions also have limitations that affect IIS 7.0. Although IIS 7.0 is included
with no limitations in all server versions, the server version itself may have limitations in use. For exam-
ple, if you install Windows Server 2008 Core Edition, IIS 7.0 can be installed, but there is no GUI configu-
ration application. This version of Windows does not have the .NET Framework available; thus, no
managed code can be run on the server.
Windows Server 2008 Web Edition has no functional limits to IIS, but only supports three role services:
Web Server, Windows Media Server and Sharepoint Services – it cannot be used to host a Domain
Controller, or other types of roles. The following table shows which versions of Windows Vista and
Windows Server 2008 have IIS 7.0 and what the limitations are.
Continued
Windows Version IIS 7.0 Included Limitations
Vista Starter Edition No No IIS functions available.
Vista Home Basic Edition No Contains some IIS functions, such as HTTP
processing, but cannot be used as a web
server.
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Chapter 1: Background on IIS and New Features in IIS 7.0
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