Deploying on a particular web server IP ( not port)

[pranshu]

Hello All,

I have a web application which I need to deploy on a particular web
server on a machine having different web servers on different IP
addresses.
I havent been able to find a way to do this. However, we can chose a
port on which we can do a deployment.
Now the only way that I have been able to think of so far is to
- Create a new web site ( lets call it Installation site) on an unused
port ( lets say 81)
- deploy on the new web site.
- Add the virtual directory on the web server I want - pointing to the
installed folder, and make that virtual directory an "application".

I am looking for better ways of creating this setup. Any ideas or
undocumented features which I can use?

Pranshu

 

[james.curran]

You must first defined (in Control Panel, under "Networking" I
believe), that this particular PC listens on several different IP
addresses. Then in IIS, on the website properties page, the dropdown
with list the various IP address which can be assigned to the site.

 

[pranshu]

Hello James,
The machine has 4 IP adresses. Lets say 1, 2, 3 and 4
The IIS has 4 web sites, each pointing to one IP Address - lets say web
site A on IP 1, port 80, B on IP 2 , port 80 etc.
The default web site (which is All ip addresses, port 80) is disabled.

Now I want to deploy the application only on Web site B, It must not
appear on other web sites.

I have created an installer ( MSI) to deploy the web application.
However, the installer dialog box only lets me select a Port and a
Virtual Directory.

When I run the installer on this machine, it deploys the application on
any web server it wants. Can I make it install on Web Site B?

The workaround I am using is that I have an 5th web site - B-Install,
on port 81, all IP addresses.

I deploy application on port 81, it goes to web site B-Install. ( Lets
say folder D:\BInstallHomeDir\AppVirtualDirectory

Then I create a virtual folder on site B pointing to the above folder
to expose my application.

This doesnt sound very neat but it works.
Since I use the same app pool for teh application in Binstall and the
virtual folder in B, so managing is easy. If I restart the app-pool,
the application reloads in both. Also I need to set the virtual folder
only once, so subsequent installs are not a problem.

Do you think it will be better to ditch the installer and use a .bat
file to copy the files, run install util, use metabase file to create
the virtual directory etc.

Pranshu