Windows Web Solutions UPDATE, August 12, 2003

1. Commentary: Microsoft Releases More Valuable IIS 6.0 Information

2. Keeping Up with IIS

- IIS Lockdown

- Results from Last Issue's Instant Poll: SharePoint Portal Server 2003

- This Issue's Instant Poll: Number of Cluster Nodes

3. Announcements

- Need Help Managing Your Storage Investment?

- Try Windows & .NET Magazine!

4. Resource

- Featured Thread: IIS 4.0 Limits?

5. Event

- New--Mobile & Wireless Road Show!

6. New and Improved

- Analyze Web Visitor Activity

- Submit Top Product Ideas

7. Contact Us

- See this section for a list of ways to contact us.

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==== 1. Commentary: Microsoft Releases More Valuable IIS 6.0 Information ====

by Tim Huckaby, [email protected]

In the previous commentaries "The IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide"( http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsserver2003/index.cfm?articleid=39265 ) and "The IIS 6.0 Resource Kit" ( http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsserver2003/index.cfm?articleid=39329 ), I wrote about Microsoft's release of the "Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit: Deploying Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0"--known as the IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide--and the "IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools." Both are excellent resources and are available free from Microsoft. In this commentary, I want to tell you about Microsoft's release of a third part of its suite of free offerings with the "Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 Resource Kit," which debuted on July 29. But first, let me tell you about the enhancements to the IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide and the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools.

Since I last wrote about the IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide, Microsoft has released an updated version. Written in how-to format, the IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide provides deployment scenarios such as installing a new IIS Web server, upgrading a Web server from an earlier version of IIS, and migrating existing Apache or IIS Web sites and applications to a newly installed IIS Web server.

The IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools let you query log files, deploy Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, employ custom site authentication, verify permissions, troubleshoot problems, migrate your server, run Web application stress tests, and more. The new version of the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools includes two new tools: the IIS 6.0 Migration Tool and the Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool.

The new third part of the Microsoft's suite, the IIS 6.0 resource kit, is a 978-page resource. Section one is the updated version of the IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide. Section two is the IIS 6.0 resource kit, which includes valuable, downloadable administrator tools. The Resource Kit section features topics to teach you how to run IIS 6.0 as a platform for Web applications, manage a secure IIS 6.0 solution, administer servers programmatically, and capitalize on built-in scalability features to manage large-scale deployments. This section thoroughly explores IIS 6.0 troubleshooting concepts, tools, scripting tips and tricks, and procedures.

Microsoft's intent for the resource kit is to assist the IIS administrator in effectively planning, deploying, operating, and troubleshooting IIS 6.0. The resource kit provides an in-depth description of IIS 6.0 architecture as well as information about IIS 6.0's features and services that you can use to accomplish everyday administrative tasks. The IIS 6.0 resource kit is a fantastic book that contains invaluable expert information from the IIS development team. If you're an IIS administrator running IIS 6.0 or if you're considering an IIS 6.0 migration, you must read this book. You can download the IIS 6.0 resource kit by chapter or in its entirety as a compressed .zip file at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=80a1b6e6-829e-49b7-8c02-333d9c148e69&displaylang=en .

You can download the IIS 6.0 Deployment Guide at

http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=f31a5fd5-03db-46d2-9f34-596edd039eb9&displaylang=en#filelist

You can download the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit Tools at

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=56fc92ee-a71a-4c73-b628-ade629c89499&displaylang=en

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==== 2. Keeping Up with IIS ====

IIS Lockdown

Microsoft created the IIS Lockdown tool to help you control IIS configuration and operation. IIS Lockdown lets you secure Web content and system files and disable or remove IIS services and components. To learn more about IIS Lockdown's features and functionality, click the following URL:

http://www.windowswebsolutions.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=24480

Results from Last Issue's Instant Poll: Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003 The voting has closed in the Windows & .NET Magazine Windows Web Solutions channel's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Does your company plan to use Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003 in the near future?" Here are the results from the 43 responses:

- 40% Yes - 42% No - 19% Not sure; we need to do more research.

(Deviations from 100 percent are due to rounding error.)

This Issue's Instant Poll: Number of Cluster Nodes

The next Instant Poll question is, "How many nodes do you use in your clusters?" Go to the Windows & .NET Magazine Windows Web Solutions home page and submit your vote for a) 4 or more nodes, b) 3 nodes, c) 2 nodes, or d) We don't use clusters.

http://www.windowswebsolutions.com

==== 3. Announcements ====

(from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

Need Help Managing Your Storage Investment?

Planning and managing your storage deployment can be costly and complex. Check out Windows & .NET Magazine's Storage Administration Web site for the latest advice, news, and tips to help you make the most of your storage investment. You'll find problem-solving articles, eye-opening white papers, a technical forum, and much more!

http://www.storageadmin.com

Try Windows & .NET Magazine!

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http://www.winnetmag.com/rd.cfm?code=fsei203xup

==== 4. Resource ====

Featured Thread: IIS 4.0 Limits?

Forum member Emilni is using Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 on approximately 150 Windows NT 4.0 sites. Emilni has noticed performance problems and wonders whether there's an upper limit on the number of sites that should run IIS 4.0. To lend this forum member a helping hand, click the following URL:

http://www.winnetmag.com/forums/rd.cfm?cid=41&tid=61918

==== 5. Event ====

(brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine)

New--Mobile & Wireless Road Show!

Learn more about the wireless and mobility solutions that are available today! Register now for this free event!

http://www.winnetmag.com/roadshows/wireless

==== 6. New and Improved ====

by Sue Cooper, [email protected]

Analyze Web Visitor Activity

Alentum Software released WebLog Expert 2.0, software that analyzes visitor activity on your Web site. WebLog Expert discovers visitors' referring sites, search engines used, and keywords and phrases users entered to find your site. The software also reveals visitors' country of origin, top-level domain, OS, and browser information. You can monitor your site's activity by day, hour, day of week, and month. You can track navigation based on the access statistics of pages, files, graphics, directories, entry and exit pages, paths taken, and file types. WebLog Expert also generates error reports that highlight problems visitors encounter on your site. The product supports Windows XP/2000/NT/Me/9x, Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 or later, and Apache. Pricing is $74.95. Contact Alentum Software at [email protected]

http://www.weblogexpert.com

Submit Top Product Ideas

Have you used a product that changed your IT experience by saving you time or easing your daily burden? Do you know of a terrific product that others should know about? Tell us! We want to write about the product in a future What's Hot column. Send your product suggestions to [email protected].

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==== 7. Contact Us ====

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