Overview of IIS 6.

0 Architecture

IIS 6.0 provides a redesigned World Wide Web Publishing Service (WWW service) architecture
that can help you achieve better performance, reliability, scalability, and security for your Web
sites, whether they run on a single server running IIS or on multiple servers.

IIS 6.0 runs a server in one of two distinct request processing models, called application isolation
modes. Application isolation is the separation of applications by process boundaries that prevents
one application or Web site from affecting another and reduces the time that you spend restarting
services to correct problems related to applications.

In IIS 6.0, application isolation is configured differently for each of the two IIS application
isolation modes. Both modes rely on the HTTP protocol stack (also referred to as HTTP.sys) to
receive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests from the Internet and return responses.
HTTP.sys resides in kernel mode, where operating system code, such as device drivers, runs.
HTTP.sys listens for, and queues, HTTP requests. For more information about HTTP.sys, see
HTTP Protocol Stack.

The new request-processing architecture and application isolation environment enables

individual Web applications, which always run in user mode, to function within a self-contained
worker process. A worker process is user-mode code whose role is to process requests, such as
returning a static page or invoking an Internet Server API (ISAPI) extension or filter. Worker
processes use HTTP.sys to receive requests and send responses over HTTP. For more
information about worker processes, see Worker Processes.

IIS 6.0 Request Processing Models

Worker process isolation mode is the new IIS request processing model. In this application
isolation mode, you can group Web applications into application pools, through which you can
apply configuration settings to the worker processes that service those applications. An
application pool corresponds to one request routing queue within HTTP.sys and one or more
worker processes.

Worker process isolation mode enables you to completely separate an application in its own
process, with no dependence on a central process such as Inetinfo.exe to load and execute the
application. All requests are handled by worker processes that are isolated from the Web server
itself. Process boundaries separate each application pool so that when an application is routed to
one application pool, applications in other application pools do not affect that application. By
using application pools, you can run all application code in an isolated environment without
incurring a performance penalty. For more information about application pools, see How
Application Pools Work.

For a visual representation of worker process isolation mode architecture, see Figure 2.1.
Worker process isolation mode delivers all the benefits of the new IIS 6.0 architecture, including
multiple application pools, health monitoring and recycling, increased security and performance,
improved scalability, and processor affinity. For example, the new health monitoring features can
help you discover and prevent application failures, and can also help protect your Web server
from imperfect applications.

IIS 5.0 isolation mode provides compatibility for applications that were designed to run in earlier
versions of IIS. When IIS 6.0 is running in IIS 5.0 isolation mode, request processing is almost
identical to the request processing in IIS 5.0. When a server is working in IIS 5.0 isolation mode,
application pools, recycling, and health monitoring features are unavailable.

For a visual representation of IIS 5.0 isolation mode architecture, see Figure 2.2. The dashed line
in Figure 2.2 indicates the dependency of the worker process on the WWW service, which
manages the worker process. For more information about the role of the WWW service, see
WWW Service Administration and Monitoring.
Use IIS 5.0 isolation mode only if components or applications do not function in worker process
isolation mode. The latter mode is designed to provide an environment in which most existing
applications or sites function correctly.

For more information about IIS 6.0 isolation modes, see Application Isolation Modes.

IIS 6.0 Services

IIS 6.0 provides four Internet services: the World Wide Web Publishing Service (WWW service)
for hosting Internet and intranet content; the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) service for hosting
sites where users can upload and download files; the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
service for hosting discussion groups; and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service for
sending and receiving e-mail messages.

After installing these services, you can create sites or virtual servers, configure properties and
security settings, and set up components to further customize your system. For more information
about IIS services, see IIS 6.0 Services later in this section and Configuring Internet Sites and
Services.
WWW Service Administration and Monitoring, which is a new set of features that were added to
the WWW service in IIS 6.0, manages worker processes, supports the new request processing
model, and is responsible for health management and maintenance, including application pool
health monitoring, recycling worker processes, and rapid-fail protection.

IIS Admin service is a service of the Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, Standard Edition;
Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003,
Web Edition; and Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, Datacenter Edition operating systems.
The IIS Admin service manages the IIS metabase, which stores IIS configuration data. The IIS
Admin service makes metabase data available to applications and the core components of IIS.
For more information about the IIS metabase, see The IIS Metabase.

Comparing Basic Functionality Between IIS 6.0 and Earlier

IIS Versions
For a quick preview of IIS architecture, comparing IIS 6.0 architecture with the architecture for
earlier versions of IIS, see Table 2.1, which summarizes the basic functionality for different
versions of IIS.

Table 2.1 Basic Functionality in Different Versions of IIS

Functionality IIS 4.0 IIS 5.0 IIS 5.1 IIS 6.0

Microsoft® Microsoft®
Microsoft®
Windows® 2000 Windows® XP Windows
Platform Windows NT® 4.0
Server operating Professional Server 2003
operating system
system operating system
Architecture 32-bit 32-bit 32-bit and 64-bit 32-bit and 64-bit
Network
TCP/IP kernel TCP/IP kernel TCP/IP kernel HTTP.sys kernel
subsystem
Application MTX.exe: DLLHost.exe: DLLHost.exe: W3wp.exe: In
request Multiple DLL Multiple DLL hosts Multiple DLL hosts worker process
processing hosts in High in Medium or High in Medium or High isolation mode
model application application application (multiple worker
isolation. isolation. isolation. processes).

Inetinfo.exe: In- Inetinfo.exe: In- Inetinfo.exe: In- Inetinfo.exe: Only

process as DLLs process as DLLs process as DLLs in IIS 5.0 isolation
with Low with Low isolation. with Low isolation. mode with in-
isolation. process
applications.

DLLHost.exe: Only
in IIS 5.0 isolation
mode with out-of-
process
 applications.
Metabase
Binary Binary Binary XML
configuration
Windows
authentication
Windows Windows
Windows
authentication authentication
authentication SSL
Security
SSL SSL
Secure Sockets Kerberos
Layer (SSL)
Kerberos Kerberos
.NET Passport
support
Remote
No HTMLA Administration Tool
Remote
HTMLA1 HTMLA (HTML)
administration
Terminal Services
Terminal Services

1 Hypertext Markup Language Administration or HTML-based administration. HTMLA-based

administration allows administrators to manage IIS Web servers by using a standard Web
browser, such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer, as the client-side interface.