Datasheet

Disabling unwanted features was the first step toward the customizability of IIS. However, this step
didn’t go far enough because IIS 6.0 still installs everything, which introduces the following problems:
❑ Disabled features consume server resources such as memory, and therefore increase the Web
server footprint.
❑ Administrators still need to install service packs that address bugs in the disabled features, even
though they’re never used.
❑ Administrators still need to install software updates for the disabled features.
In other words, administrators have to maintain the service features that are never used. All these prob-
lems stem from the fact that the architecture of IIS 6.0 is relatively monolithic. The main installation
problem with a monolithic architecture is that it’s based on an all-or-nothing paradigm where you have
no choice but to install the whole system.
IIS 7.0 is modular to the bone! Its architecture consists of more than 40 feature modules from which you
can choose. This allows you to install only the needed feature modules to build a highly customized,
thin Web server. This provides the following important benefits:
❑ Decreases the footprint of your Web server.
❑ Administrators need to install only those service packs that address bugs in the installed feature
modules.
❑ Administrators need to install software updates only for the installed feature modules.
So, administrators have to maintain and service only installed feature modules.
Next, I provide an overview of the IIS 7 feature modules or components. These feature components are
grouped into what are known as functional areas, where each functional area maps to a specific IIS pack-
age update. That is, each package update contains one or more feature modules or components. As
you’ll see later, you’ll use these package updates to custom-build your Web server.
The top-level IIS update is known as IIS-WebServerRole, and contains the updates shown in Figure 1-1.
As the name suggests, the IIS-WebServerRole update enables Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista
to adopt a Web server role, which enables them to exchange information over the Internet, an intranet, or
an extranet.
Figure 1-1
IIS-WebServerRole
IIS-WebServer
IIS-WebServerManagementTools
IIS-FTPPublishingService
2
Chapter 1: IIS 7 and ASP.NET Integrated Architecture
52539c01.qxd:WroxPro 9/17/07 6:51 PM Page 2