Saturday, May 22, 2004 11:05 bart

Try IIS!

Microsoft has released the website www.tryiis.com to promote IIS 6.0 as the ideal webserver for businesses. In fact, I share this idea and really like the latest release of IIS included with Windows Server 2003. In fact, there is a special release of Windows Server 2003, the Web Edition, that was especially built for this purpose (web and application server). As the matter in fact, IIS still has too much a bad name in terms of security with the Code Red and Nimda in IT pro's minds. That's one of the problems the IIS team took on with the development of IIS 6.0 in the light of the Trustworthy Computing statement of Microsoft (remember SD3+C = Secure by Design, Secure by Default and Secure by Deployment and Communications). If you want to know more about this mathematical looking formula "SD3+C", you can watch the MSDN TV episode by Michael Howard that was released recently on http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdntv/episode.aspx?xml=episodes/en/20030513SecurityMH/manifest.xml.

So what can you find on the Try IIS website? First of all, the promotional stuff of course with a slogan like "Instead of adding more servers, add a web server that does more.", not bad isn't it? Furthermore you'll find casestudies and links to webcasts on IIS 6 and resources such as the IIS 6 Resource Kit. People who're still doubting about the position of Microsoft in the server market (how dare you?) can find the "facts on Windows and Linux" as well via http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/facts/default.asp and the prove ("black on white") of the strenghts of IIS 6 in comparison with a webserver running Apache on a Linux platform (test done by VeriTest a year ago in April).

There are - as Microsoft states - 6 reasons to adopt IIS 6 (I'm sure I'd find some more but 6 reasons for IIS 6 sounds better for promotional stuff I guess):

  • Enhanced Compressing and Consolidation: "do more with less"
  • Security (the word is now on 99.999% of the Microsoft pages, but it's completely right): IIS 6.0 is locked down by default
  • Reliable Support: something people are missing with some concurrential products
  • Powered by Windows Server 2003: that's really a big benefit (for Windows Server 2003 there are 2003 10 reasons to adopt it: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/top10best.mspx)
  • Faster application development: this has definitely to do with ASP.NET, however, some point of critique: why the hell is TryIis.com running classic ASP? I guess they ran out of "dogfood" at Microsoft Corp :-) (joke for 'insiders')
  • Best real-world platform: see the comparisons with other platforms and learn all of the 'abilities' of the IIS 6.0

Words are only words and don't show the real stuff. So, there's only one way to get to learn IIS 6.0 (if you've not done so yet): try it now and order the Eval Kit of www.tryiis.com!

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Comments

# re: Try IIS!

Saturday, May 29, 2004 6:58 by bart

It's secure because nothing works :D (everything is disabled by default)

Well, they didn't make the same fault as with IIS5.0, and that's an improvement. Windows 2003 Web edition is the most secure web server ... of all IIS. Apache and others are more stable and secure though...

# re: Try IIS!

Saturday, May 29, 2004 10:55 by bart

Hi Geert,

Thanks for your comment and reading my blog. However, can you give us some arguments why Apache would be more secure and stable than IIS? :-) I've various reasons to say the same about IIS 6.0.

Cheers,
Bart

# re: Try IIS!

Sunday, May 30, 2004 11:43 AM by bart

IIS6 is a major step forward, but it's main problem is Windows :). My personal experience: i installed the Windows 2003 web edition, i brought a server to the data center and I connected to the Internet. After 1 minute, a famous virus (already forgot it's name, it was a virus targetting sql server servers) had infected the server (I didn't had the time to do windows update and install patches/updates - I can't do magic in 1 minute :) The virus was constantly rebooting the server, but gave me every time 30 seconds to do some stuff... So I clicked as hell to install the patch :D

Talking about webservers, IIS6 could be as stable as Apache (which has proven itself over the years). Now it's up to IIS. Oh, and never let debugger users on your IIS, they can bring down your application pool...

# re: Try IIS!

Sunday, May 30, 2004 1:54 by bart

Hi Geert,

That's exactly why I have this post on my blog: http://community.bartdesmet.net/blogs/bart/archive/2004/05/07/262.aspx#FeedBack

Cheers,
Bart

# re: Try IIS!

Tuesday, June 01, 2004 9:02 by bart

I should have known this earlier ;)

The command line is a vewwy powerful Windows tool :)

# re: Try IIS!

Saturday, February 05, 2005 9:16 by bart

I manage a hole host of systems running both linux and windows , i must say i would choose linux over windows any day. I never seem to have to touch the linux box's, they never need rebooting and they never seem to crash, sure it took a while longer to get them setup but that extra amount of time during the install and planning sure payed of in the long run, i can only speak from experience however i have to employ two other people to help on the windows side and only myself on the linux and thats approx 30 linux and 30 windows. So sorry in my many years of network management i would choose Linux over windows for stability and security.


flandercan

# re: Try IIS!

Saturday, February 05, 2005 9:25 by bart

Well, I would do exctly the opposite. Take a look at the uptime stats of my machine (Netcraft for example) and you'll see that I have exactly the same feeling about Windows as you seem to have about those penguin boxes. Currently we're up and running for 47 days without reboot. See post http://community.bartdesmet.net/blogs/bart/archive/2004/08/09/366.aspx for the uptime I had on Windows 2000 Server in the past. Please note that the 47 day uptime now was interrupted by a power failure in the hosting infrastructure, not by software problems or so.

So, they never seem to crash, never need reboting and the setup time was very little. But in my case for Windows :-). I think you should have forgotten a comma in your reasoning somewhere; so check the proof of your statement again :-).

# re: Try IIS!

Saturday, February 05, 2005 10:29 by bart

hey this comment was made 'in my experience' and was my own opinion. I have many uptimes of well over a year as i guess you do to. I dont want to start a windows linux flame here. Each server admin to his own.

linux is better though :-)

and that cv is old!

flandercan

# re: Try IIS!

Thursday, June 16, 2005 9:37 AM by bart

I am using IIS with beta 2(trial version) and win XP ,,, IIS is frequently.. crashing....
can any body expalin reason

# re: Try IIS!

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 12:27 AM by bart

After installing iis it took only 30 sec to being infected. Well.... has someone say above i cannot update in this time.
However Apache does not suffer from this kind of problems. Much more stable, and *flawless*.

Ok... this is just an opinion. However the stats say that this is our world opinion.

Of course... We can do pretty things with Microsoft Products, IIS in not an excpecion.

Cheers,

Edgar Durão
Portugal

# re: Try IIS!

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 12:45 by bart

So, that's why SP1 of Windows Server 2003 now introduces post-installation updates, a phase where it's required to perform a Windows Update before the firewall is unlocked. That means, the computer is not visible to the outside world until it has been patched. Still any comments now? :-)

Tip: create a slipstreamed installation disk for W2K3 with SP1 (keywords for internet search: Windows Server 2003 slipstream SP1)