deploy asp.net web app to IIS - how to - best practice?

[Rich]

I have a simple "Hello World" asp.net web application (created in VB2005)
that I want to deploy to IIS (6.0 - maybe higher - on a win2003 server). I
have read an article that suggest either of 2 methods - but I am not clear
how to work with these methods.

Method 1) copy the content files to the server and create a virtual dir in
IIS. What are my content files? What files do I copy to the server? The
article said I could use the xcopy command. In my app's Project Properties
page I see an option for Start Url (unselected by default) and for servers
the VS2005 development server is checked (by default) but also has an option
for use IIS web server (I am guessing this option is for the local
workstation IIS). So how do I copy my web app to the win2003 server from my
local workstation? What files do I copy? How do I call my default web page?

http://mywin2003server/myvirtualdir/default.aspx

is this how?

Method 2) - precompile - even more unclear on this one. Do I perform a
precompile and the create a setup package? Creating the setup package wasn't
so bad - fairly straight forward - I think. Select Output file (or something
like that). So after I create this msi file - I understand I copy this to
the win2003 server and then install it? How do I add the virtual dir to the
install path? Does this get done in the Project Properties page?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[rowe_newsgroups]

I have a simple "Hello World" asp.net web application (created in VB2005)
that I want to deploy to IIS (6.0 - maybe higher - on a win2003 server).   I
have read an article that suggest either of 2 methods - but I am not clear
how to work with these methods.

Method 1)  copy the content files to the server and create a virtual dir in
IIS.  What are my content files?  What files do I copy to the server? The
article said I could use the xcopy command.  In my app's Project Properties
page I see an option for Start Url (unselected by default) and for servers
the VS2005 development server is checked (by default) but also has an option
for use IIS web server (I am guessing this option is for the local
workstation IIS).  So how do I copy my web app to the win2003 server from my
local workstation?  What files do I copy?  How do I call my default web page?

http://mywin2003server/myvirtualdir/default.aspx

is this how?

Method 2) - precompile - even more unclear on this one.  Do I perform a
precompile and the create a setup package?  Creating the setup package wasn't
so bad - fairly straight forward - I think.  Select Output file (or something
like that).  So after I create this msi file - I understand I copy thisto
the win2003 server and then install it?  How do I add the virtual dir to the
install path?  Does this get done in the Project Properties page?

Thanks,
Rich

1) Get your website working on your local machine using the built in
developer server (known as Cassini).
2) Right click on the website project in Solution Explorer and select
Publish.
3) Leave the form as-is for know, just change the location to your
desktop.
4) Open the folder for the newly created web site, and open the
Web.Config file in your favorite XML editor.
5) Find the compilation element under configuration/system.web.
6) Change the value of the debug attribute to false.
7) The files are now ready to be copied to the server.

That's about as far as I go - we have a web admin that handles the IIS
settings and DNS setup. If this isn't available to you, I would
recommend you find a resource on IIS and DNS to help.

Thanks,

Seth Rowe [MVP]
http://sethrowe.blogspot.com/

 

[Rich]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you very much for your reply.

At first I did get some configuration errors. I had to go to IIS to my
virtual dir to properties and reset ASP.Net from 1.14 to 2.0. I also created
an application name for the web app (in the virtual properties page) and set
the application pool to DefaultappPool. I was then able to run the app. I
created the app name (in the virtual dir) before I changed the asp.net
framework from 1.14 to 2.0. I may not have needed to create an application
name. But the web app works!

Thank you again for your help.