Before You Begin

### INTRODUCTION:

# Before You Begin

What’s New
About This Book
About Online Help
About the Online Examples
What You Should Know
Finding Further Information

Welcome to Microsoft® Internet Information Server version 2.0 for the Windows NT® Server version 4.0 operating systems. Microsoft Internet Information Server is a network file and application server that transmits information in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) pages using the HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP). Using the World Wide Web (WWW) service, you can:

- Publish a “home page” on the Internet for your business featuring a newsletter, sales information, or employment opportunities.

- Publish a catalog and take orders from customers.

- Publish interactive programs.

- Provide your remote sales force easy access to your sales database.

- Use an order-tracking database.

- Publish an employee handbook.

Internet Information Server also provides other information services and supports a variety of interfaces that allow you to:

- Create high performance client-server applications using the Microsoft Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI).

- Customize the WWW Service by creating ISAPI filter programs that listen to incoming or outgoing requests and automatically perform actions, such as enhanced logging.

- Run Common Gateway Interface (CGI) applications or scripts.

- Transmit or receive files using the FTP service.

- Publish archives of information, spanning multiple computers, using the gopher service.

Internet Information Server includes the following components:

- Internet Information Server services (WWW, FTP, and gopher).

- Internet Service Manager (the tool for administering the Internet services).

After you have installed Internet Information Server services, we recommend that you load Internet Explorer and browse through our Executive Summary and Tour of Internet Information Server. To start, type http://computername in the Address box of Internet Explorer, where computername is the name of your computer.

For current information about Internet Information Server, browse our World Wide Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/infoserv.

Note This release of Internet Information Server requires Windows NT Server version 4.0 and can be installed automatically while you install Windows NT Server. Alternatively, you can install Internet Information Server separately, by running Inetstp.exe in the \Inetsrv directory on the Windows NT Server compact disc.

# What’s New

Microsoft Internet Information Server version 2.0 introduces the following new features:

- Integration into Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 Setup

- Host headers

- National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) style map files

- Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) byte range support

- Enhanced logging

- Translation of Structured Query Language (SQL) data to Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format

- Server variables in .htx files

- HTML Administrator

- Key Manager

## Integration into Windows NT Version 4.0 Setup

Internet Information Server version 2.0 setup is fully integrated into Windows NT Server version 4.0 setup, allowing you to set up your Internet services while installing Windows NT Server. See Chapter 1, “Installing Internet Information Server,” for more information.

## Host Headers

For a server with only one Internet Protocol (IP) address (a single-hosted server), on redirection the host name will be returned in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to the browser. For example, if a client types an address requesting a directory listing and does not type the final slash mark, the host name (rather than the IP address) appears in the URL returned to the browser. You can configure the host name using the TCP/IP property of the Protocols tab in the Network applet of the Windows NT Control Panel. If no host name is configured, the domain name will be returned to the browser.

For a server with more than one IP address (a multiple-hosted server, with virtual servers), the IP addresses will be returned.

You can change this feature with the ReturnURLUsingHostName Registry entry. See Chapter 10, “Configuring Registry Entries,” for details.

## NCSA Style Map Files

In addition to Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (CERN) style map files, Internet Information Server version 2.0 supports National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) style map files. This feature facilitates porting from systems (such as UNIX®) that support NCSA mapping.

## HTTP Byte Range

This feature lets you copy part of a file from the server rather than the entire file. If your browser supports byte range, you can start receiving data at a particular place within a file, which is useful if a transmission is interrupted and you want to restart it where it left off, rather than recopy the entire file.

## Enhanced Logging

Internet Information server now logs errors as well as successful transactions. You can set your log files to record only errors, only successful transmissions, or both. You do this by editing the LogSuccessfulRequests and LogErrorRequests Registry entries. See Chapter 10, “Configuring Registry Entries,” for details.

## Translation of Structured Query Language (SQL) Data to HyperText Markup Language (HTML) Format

If you are publishing a database in a language with non-English characters, you can map special characters to HTML format. This feature lets browsers display characters non-English characters such as à, ô, and é.

See Chapter 8, “Publishing Information and Applications,” for more details.

## Server Variables in .htx Files

Internet Information Server version 2.0 lets you add the server variables to if statements in .htx files for database queries, using the %variable% notation used with .htx files.

See Chapter 8, “Publishing Information and Applications,” for more details.

## HTML Administrator

The HTML Administrator program provides functionality equivalent to Internet Service Manager. Using HTML Administrator with your Internet browser you can administer Internet Information Servers across the Internet. For more information see Chapter 3, “Configuring and Managing Your Internet Information Server.”

## Key Manager

As part of the process of enabling Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security on your Internet server, you need to generate a key pair and then acquire an SSL certificate. The new Key Manager application (installed with the product and located in the Internet Server program group) simplifies this procedure. For more information see Chapter 5, “Securing Your Site Against Intruders.”

# About This Book

The Installation and Administration Guide for Microsoft Internet Information Server tells you what you need to install the server software and plan your server site. This book also provides an overview and background or conceptual information about

- Configuring the Server

- Installing a Server on the Internet or your Intranet

- Publishing Content

- Networking

- Security

- Directory Management and Creating Virtual Servers

- Logging

- Using Additional Services

Note that the primary focus of the book is on the WWW service, although many of the concepts discussed apply to the FTP and gopher services as well.

# About Online Help

- The Microsoft Internet Information Server online Help, Inetmgr.hlp, provides information you need to operate and configure the Internet Information Server. Specifically, online Help tells you about the Internet Information Manager, describing all its property sheets and dialog boxes.

To access online help you can:

- Press any Help button.

- Press F1 at any time.

# About the Online Examples

The Microsoft Internet Information Server includes many examples to help you create content and configure your server. The examples include:

- A tour

- A sample Web site

- Internet Database Connector examples

- ISAPI Programming examples

- Basic HTML Styles

- A tool to configure logging to a SQL Server database

- A tool to create a new ODBC datasource on the Internet Information Server

- A link to www.microsoft.com

# What You Should Know

The documentation for Internet Information Server assumes you understand the basic operation of Windows NT and that Windows NT Server is installed on your server. It is not assumed that you understand the Internet. It is helpful, but not necessary, to understand TCP/IP networking.

You should fully understand the information in Chapter 5, “Securing Your Site Against Intruders.” If you do not understand the information, you should consult Windows NT documentation or other sources before installing your site on the Internet.

# Finding Further Information

In addition to the information in this book, online help, and online examples, additional information about using Internet Information Server is available from the following sources.

Microsoft TechNet is the front-line resource for fast complete answers to technical questions on Microsoft desktop and system products. Through two monthly CDs, you get everything from crucial data on client/server and workgroup computing, systems platforms, and database products to the latest applications support for Microsoft Windows and the Apple® Macintosh®. For ordering information, call your reseller or (800) 344-2121.

The Microsoft Developer Network provides in-depth information for developers using the ISAPI. With Level 1 of the Developer Network, you get four quarterly releases of the Development Library, packed with inside information on programming for Microsoft Windows and Windows NT, plus other program benefits. With Level 2 of the Developer Network, you'll receive all the Level 1 benefits plus quarterly releases of the Development Platform, containing the latest Windows and Windows NT Workstation operating systems and API-level SDKs and DDKs from Microsoft. For ordering information, call (800) 759-5474.

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