Configuring Applications MacDonald Ch. 9 MIS 424 MIS 424 Professor Sandvig Professor Sandvig

Today 1.Why Applications? 2.IIS Role in handing a request Role in handing a request 3..NET Applications Applications Application Object Application Object Global.asax Global.asax 4.Configuration files Machine.config Machine.config Web.Config Web.Config

Why Applications? Dark ages (pre-2003) Server crashes not unusual Server crashes not unusual Single failure bring down whole system Worse yet: Worse yet: Memory leaks Cause IIS hang Cause IIS hang Stop serving pages Stop serving pages Required manual intervention (reboot)

Why Applications Today (Windows Server 2003 & later) Applications still crash Applications still crash Applications are compartmentalized OS handles gracefully System rarely affected System rarely affected OS monitors application health OS monitors application health Recycles unhealthy processes Result: system stable & reliable Result: system stable & reliable

IIS Overview

IIS Applications Folders may be configured as “Applications” IIS configuration interface IIS configuration interface Each application is assigned to an Application Pool Each application is assigned to an Application Pool Each application pool has a unique Windows process Specify error handling, timeouts, etc. for each application Specify error handling, timeouts, etc. for each applicationBenefit: Compartmentalize applications Compartmentalize applications Reduces dependencies Reduces dependencies Improves reliability Allows application specific settings Allows application specific settings Error handling, log files, filters, headers, timeouts… 100’s of settings 100’s of settings

Applications Settings Configuration settings: Web.config Web.config Application level settings Located in root folder Machine.config Machine.config Settings common to all applications Application event handlers Global.asax file Global.asax file Located in root folder

ASP.NET Configuration.config files Hierarchical configuration Hierarchical configuration Similar to CSS Similar to CSSInheritance Child has precedence over parent Child has precedence over parent Machine.config Rarely need to modify Rarely need to modify

Web.Config XML file Case sensitive Case sensitive Camel casing Camel casingConfigure: Application settings Application settings Error handling Error handling Timeouts Timeouts Sessions…etc. etc. Sessions…etc. etc. Authentication Authentication documentation documentation documentation Security.config files not served.config files not served

Global.asax Handles application & session events 15+ events 15+ events Application_start Application_start Application_error Application_error Session_start Session_start Located in root folder of application Triggered each page request Optional

Global.asax Example: Create new application on server Create new application on server web.config: source web.config: sourcesource global.asax: source global.asax: sourcesource TestPage.aspx: source, output TestPage.aspx: source, outputsourceoutputsourceoutput

Summary Configuration Objectives: Flexibility Flexibility Security Security Reliability Reliability Convenience ConvenienceIIS Handles requests Handles requestsApplication Application object Application object Events: global.asax Events: global.asaxConfiguration Machine.config Machine.config Web.config Web.config