10 Steps to Installing The Web Server Role In Windows Server 2008

The following exercise will walk you through the process of deploying the Web Server Role on a clean installation of Windows Server 2008.

Installing the role services selected in these steps will provide you with a web server with the following features and capabilities:

• Internet Information Services 7.0

• Common HTTP Features for serving static web content

• Application Development Services for hosting dynamic web content

• Basic logging functionality and tools

• Security Protocols for serving content securely to the internet or intranet

• All management tools for local and remote web server administration

• FTP Publishing Service for manageable file hosting

Let's Get Started!

Performing the Web Server Role installation requires the administrative credentials of the IIS Web Server Administrator role. Once logged in with the proper credentials, you're ready to start:

1. Launch the Add Roles Wizard using one of these methods:

• On a new Windows Server 2008 installation click Add Roles from the Initial Configuration Task Window

• From the Server Manager click Add Roles from the Roles Summary or Roles Manager

2. The Add Roles Wizard will begin with some recommendations for the installation; click the Next button to proceed.

3. You may be prompted to add the Windows Process Activation Service feature, in this case click the Add Required Features button.

4. From the Select Server Roles Wizard step check the box labeled Web Server (IIS) and click Next to continue.

5. After reviewing the Web Server Installation introduction, click the Next button to begin selecting the role services to install.

6. The role services selected in the left column are the default for a new Server 2008 installation. In order to install a web server with the functionality outlined in this exercise, check the boxes for the role services selected in the right column.

Note: The role services selected in this exercise may differ from your requirements. Feel free to explore the descriptions of the role services and select or deselect the features you see fit.

7. After checking the box labeled Application Development, you may be prompted to add the .NET Environment, if it is not already installed. Click the Add Required Features button to continue selecting role services.

8. Once you've completed selecting the role services to install for your web server, click the Next, button to proceed.

9. Review the installation selections and confirm them by clicking the Install button. The Add Roles Wizard will then perform the installation of the selected role services.

10. When the wizard is finished installing the roles, review the installation results and click the Close button to complete the installation.

Add Roles Wizard Makes Installation a Snap!

Thanks to the Add Roles Wizard, setting up a web server has never been easier. Selecting from the many role services used by a web server is intuitive since the services are well defined and any feature dependencies required by a role service are prompted to be installed on demand.

Out of the box, the web server should be configured to allow access with anonymous authentication locally and over the internet.

Serving content over the internet may still be blocked by firewalls on your network or internet service provider (ISP). Hosting a web site via a domain name will require the IP address of the server be registered through an authorized ICANN registrar.

Some of the security and management role services may still require additional configuration or enabling. Once the steps are complete the server should be ready to host web sites, applications, and services as well as files via FTP.

To confirm that Internet Information Services is started and able to serve content visit http://localhost/ with Internet Explorer or another web browser on the server. If your installation was successful, you should be brought to the web page pictured below:

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