Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    REVIEW: Microsoft IIS 7.5 Improves Management, Deployment Options

    By
    Jim Rapoza
    -
    September 1, 2009
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Few products in the Microsoft portfolio have seen as positive a turnaround as the Internet Information Services Web server.

      Nine years ago, IIS was a security nightmare that was regularly exploited by dangerous worms and viruses. But, beginning with IIS 6, Microsoft made significant improvements in the security profile of the Web server-improvements that have erased IIS’ bad security reputation. With IIS 7, Microsoft took many cues from open-source rival Apache, making IIS more modular in its deployment options and even relying on good old configuration files for much of the server’s setup and administration.

      For a look at IIS 7.5 in action, check out this eWEEK Labs gallery.

      Now, with the release of Windows Server 2008 R2, we are seeing an update to Microsoft’s Web platform in the form of IIS 7.5. Like much of R2 itself, IIS 7.5 isn’t a massive upgrade from previous versions; in fact, many of the new features were already available as add-ons to IIS 7.

      But, all in all, IIS 7.5 is a welcome update, improving the management and deployment options for the Microsoft Web server.

      Interestingly, it also seems like an acknowledgment that, for some Microsoft customers, IIS might have gone too far down the Apache road of (mainly) GUI-free configuration.

      This new focus was clear once I fired up the IIS Management Console on Windows Server 2008 R2 and started to configure request filtering for the server. Request filtering makes it possible to build a more secure server configuration that is resistant to common attack techniques such as cross site scripting.

      Request filtering was built into IIS in previous versions of the server, but setting it up required editing configuration files. This wasn’t exactly difficult, but IIS 7.5 makes it easier with the option to set up filtering using a standard GUI interface. I found this process to be relatively simple, and I liked that changes made here took effect immediately, without the need to restart the service.

      Also new in IIS 7.5 is the graphical Configuration Editor, which is sort of like a regedit for IIS configuration. Using this tool, I could edit and view IIS configuration settings without the need to open up the web.config file.

      Another welcome change in IIS 7.5 is the elevation of FTP as a full-fledged part of the server. In previous versions, setup and management of an FTP server in IIS were done pretty much separately from Web server management. In IIS 7.5, FTP administration is fully integrated into the IIS Management Console.

      I found this to be a very good implementation of FTP, making it possible to quickly set up secure FTP servers and tie them to my Websites. Especially nice was the ability to easily use virtual host names for the FTP sites. All in all, the FTP implementation in IIS 7.5 is one of the best I’ve seen, even when compared with dedicated FTP server products.

      While much of IIS 7.5 is dedicated to improved GUI management, that isn’t the only focus. Admins comfortable in the command line will like the option to manage the IIS server through Microsoft’s PowerShell interface. Using the PowerShell snap-in for IIS 7.5, I was able to use commands to control and view nearly any aspect of the server. This also made it easier to use management scripts, build scheduled tasks and handle remote management.

      IIS 7.5 also includes some under-the-hood enhancements, such as hardened application pool security through lowered privileges. In addition, IIS benefits from a large library of extensions and add-on modules that make it possible for businesses to add capabilities to their server implementations.

      Chief Technology Analyst Jim Rapoza can be reached at jrapoza@eweek.com.

      Jim Rapoza
      Jim Rapoza, Chief Technology Analyst, eWEEK.For nearly fifteen years, Jim Rapoza has evaluated products and technologies in almost every technology category for eWEEK. Mr Rapoza's current technology focus is on all categories of emerging information technology though he continues to focus on core technology areas that include: content management systems, portal applications, Web publishing tools and security. Mr. Rapoza has coordinated several evaluations at enterprise organizations, including USA Today and The Prudential, to measure the capability of products and services under real-world conditions and against real-world criteria. Jim Rapoza's award-winning weekly column, Tech Directions, delves into all areas of technologies and the challenges of managing and deploying technology today.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Careers

      SThree’s Sunny Ackerman on Tech Hiring Trends

      James Maguire - June 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Sunny Ackerman, President/Americas for tech recruiter SThree, about the tight labor market in the tech sector, and much needed efforts to...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×