1. Optimize Your Site: Advanced Configuration Techniques

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Registration
• Using Advanced Installer
  • GUI
  • Working with Projects
  • Installer Project
    * Product Information
    * Resources
    * Package Definition
    * Requirements
    * User Interface
    * System Changes
    * Server
    * Internet Information Services Page”)
    * IIS Server
    * Global Settings
    * Website Settings
    * Physical Path Credentials Dialog
    * Web Site Bindings/SSL Settings
    * Virtual Directory Settings
    * ASP.NET Settings
    * Access Flags
    * Authentication
    * Default Document
    * Website Performance
    * FTP Access
    * FastCGI Settings
    * ISAPI Filters
    * MIME Types
    * Application Mapping
    * HTTP Response Headers
    * Machine Key
    * HTTP Error Handling
    * .NET Error Handling
    * Custom Properties
    * Application Pools
    * Web Deploy Packages
    * Legacy Options
    * IIS Browse
    * ODBC
    * SQL Databases
    * SharePoint Page
    * Silverlight Page
    * Custom Behavior
  • Patch Project
  • Merge Module Project
  • Updates Configuration Project
  • Windows Store App Project
  • Modification Package Project
  • Optional Package Project
  • Windows Mobile CAB Projects
  • Visual Studio Extension Project
  • Software Installer Wizards - Advanced Installer
  • Visual Studio integration
  • Alternative to AdminStudio/Wise
  • Replace Wise
  • Migrating from Visual Studio Installer
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Shell Integration
  • Command Line
  • Advanced Installer PowerShell Automation Interfaces
• Features and Functionality
• Tutorials
• Samples
• How-tos
• FAQs
• Windows Installer
• Deployment Technologies
• IT Pro
• MSIX
• Video Tutorials
• Advanced Installer Blog
• Table of Contents

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Website Settings

This view allows you to properly install and configure a new website on the target IIS Server.

General

Name

The friendly name of the website. This field is of Formatted Type and can be edited usingSmart Edit Control .

If, at install time, the site name is set to “Default Web Site”, then the configuration for that site will be skipped. Only the settings configured for its child items (web applications and virtual directories) will be set and installed under “Default Website”.

Physical Folder

You can set the root physical folder for the new website. Use the [… ] button to change the root location. The Folder Picker Dialog will be displayed allowing you to choose a folder.

Install Condition

You can set a condition for the installation of this website. The condition will be evaluated during maintenance as well. Edit this field using Smart Condition Edit Control .

Use the following recommended condition so that web sites can get removed or installed during maintenance depending on how the user sets their feature states:

(!WebSiteFeature = 3 AND &WebSiteFeature <> 2) OR (&WebSiteFeature = 3)

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Where WebSiteFeature is the identifier of the feature containing the website’s resources.

Physical Path Credentials

You can set the physical path credentials (eg. set a property-based username and password) by clicking on the Physical Path Credentials hyperlink. The Physical Path Credentials Dialog will be displayed.

Enable pre-loading

The website is loaded before the first request for it arrives from the users. This refers to database connections, .NET Framework, and the just-in-time compilation for ASP.NET applications, that usually get loaded the first time a user requests the website.

Having all the above already loaded will make improve the UX for the first user accessing the website.

Start website immediately

If this option is checked, the Advanced Installer IIS configuration tool will attempt to start the associated service instance for the newly created website.

Identity

Although you can configure a friendly name for your website, this plays absolutely no role in the server’ configuration; it’s mearly informative. However, if you want to_manually_ configure a website (advanced settings) you must refer to it by its internal identifier (also called an_index_). This identifies the website within its server, as well as within a web form.

Automatic (recommended)

When Advanced Installer IIS configuration tool creates a website on a server, automatically assigns it the first available index on that system, so you don’t have to worry about manually managing the conflicts between existing websites.

Manual

However, you may want to manually specify a website identifier (index). This can be a fixed project integer value or you can use aproperty reference to dynamically set its value at run time.

In case of an identity conflict, you have the option of assigning to the website the next available index on that server or to apply the “Error Policy” specified for that Web Site.

Error Policy

Action if duplicate

Select the IIS configuration tool’s desired behavior when a duplicate website is found on the target server.

• Skip item installation - when a duplicate website is found the installer will automatically skip the item’s installation and continue the setup.
• Rollback installation - when a duplicate website is found the installation will rollback with an error message.
• Prompt user to skip item or rollback installation - when a duplicate website is found the user will be prompted to choose whether to continue the installation skipping that item or to abort.
• Prompt user to overwrite item or rollback installation - when a duplicate website is found the user will be prompted to choose whether to continue the installationoverwriting that item or to abort.

The overwrite operation cannot be undone by_uninstall_ or rollback !

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