How to create a new virtual server or Web site in Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 (816576)

SUMMARY

This article describes step-by-step how to create a virtual server in Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0.

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Overview

You can configure a single Windows Server 2003-based computer to host multiple Web sites where each Web site is distinct and separate, with separate Web content and permissions. To create a virtual server, you map a new Web site to the content folder that you want. This Web content can be on the local computer or on a remote share. Virtual servers are defined by a combination of the following three parameters:

• The Internet Protocol (IP) address that is assigned to the Web site
• The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port number that is assigned to the Web site
• The host header name that is assigned to the Web site

As long as one parameter is unique to each virtual server, they can run at the same time in IIS.

For example, you can have multiple Web sites that are all mapped to the same IP address and that all use the default TCP port 80 as long as you assign a unique host header name to each virtual server.

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To Create a Web Content Folder

To create a new folder where you can store the content for the Web site:

1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. In the Folders list, click the folder where you want to create the new folder. For example, click Inetpub.
3. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
4. Type a name for the folder, and then press ENTER.
   
   Note To maintain a high level of security, do not create the Web content folder in the root folder of the hard disk.
5. Quit Windows Explorer.

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To Create a Virtual Server

To create a virtual server:

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. In the console tree, expand ServerName where ServerName is the name of the server, right-click Web Sites, point to New, and then click Web Site. The Web Site Creation Wizard starts.
3. Click Next.
4. On the Web Site Description page, type a description for the Web site in the Description box, and then click Next.
5. On the IP Address and Port Settings page, do the following:
   1. Click the IP Address that you want to use for the Web site in the Enter the IP address to use for this Web site box.
      
      Note If you click (All Unassigned), the virtual server responds to all IP addresses that are not assigned to other virtual servers.
   2. If you want to use a different TCP port than the default TCP port 80, type the port that you want to use in the TCP port this Web site should use (Default 80) box.
   3. If you want to specify a host header for the virtual server, type the host header name in the Host Header for this Web site (Default: None) box.
   4. Click Next.
6. On the Web Site Home Directory page, specify the path of the Web content folder that you created earlier in the Path box. For example, C:\InetPub\FolderName.
   
   If you do not want to allow anonymous access to the Web site, click to clear the Allow anonymous access to this Web site check box, and then click Next.
7. On the Web Site Access Permissions page, specify the permissions that you want for the Web site, and then click Next.
8. Click Finish.
   
   The new Web site appears in the list of Web sites under Web Sites in the console tree. To modify settings for the Web site, right-click the Web site, and then click Properties.

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