Difference between Web App and Web Site in Config File Hierarchy

I'm a little confused as to the notion of "Web Site" alluded to in the TK
70-562 book in Figure 1-12: The configuration file hierarchy. Is Web Site an
IIS notion? Coming from an Apache world, each web context or web application
is configured separately and independently of the configuration of others.
Figure 1-12 seems to suggest that a Web.config file that exists in the root
directory of the Default Web Site in IIS can affect applications deployed to
virtual directories that the Default Web Site contains. Is my understanding
correct? If not, where would I find %root%\Web.config?

Thanks.

Sean Dockery

"Sean Dockery" <> wrote in message
news:CE7B5F1D-D171-4003-A36B-...
> I'm a little confused as to the notion of "Web Site" alluded to in the TK
> 70-562 book in Figure 1-12: The configuration file hierarchy. Is Web Site
> an
> IIS notion?

Sean, these are fundamental Sharepoint Administration questions, not really
Sharepoint Development questions, so you may find it useful to review some
Sharepoint Administration materials along the way.

And, even prior to that, you might find an introduction to ASP.NET
fundamentals useful, as Sharepoint is entirely based on ASP.NET.

As to the question, though, in Sharepoint at "Web Site" is a logical
construct that represents a security and functionality boundary for a
defined group of users and content. Multiple "sites" make up a Site
Collection, and a Site Collection is implemented, physically, as an IIS
Virtual Server.

> Figure 1-12 seems to suggest that a Web.config file that exists in the
> root
> directory of the Default Web Site in IIS can affect applications deployed
> to
> virtual directories that the Default Web Site contains. Is my
> understanding
> correct?

Yes. The values defined in a web.config are hierarchically applied. A
web.config can exist in a number of different places, and has scope at that
level and down. It can exist in the IIS virtual server root, where it has
scope over the entire IIS virtual server; it can exist in an IIS virtual
directory (typically the root of an application), where it has scope over
the application; and it can also exist in subfolders, where it would have
scope over the content contained in that subfolder -- perhaps in the ~\bin
folder of a v-root, where it has scope over just the executable content of
the site, but not the HTML-based content.


--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My Websites: http://www.onsitechsolutions.com;
http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

Lawrence Garvin [MVP]

Hello Lawrence,

While I appreciate the obvious effort that you put into composing your
reply, I'm not entirely sure how your discussion of Sharepoint applies and it
is probably deeper than I'm prepared to absorb.

I have come to realize that the concept of multiple Web Sites does not exist
within IIS on Windows XP. My extremely limited exposure to Windows Server
system administration and the fact that multiple Web Sites are not possible
on Windows XP had contributed to my confusion. I have since explored the IIS
Admin Management Console on Windows Server 2003 and discovered the New > Web
Site... menu option and believe that I have a handle on the concept of Web
Site as discussed in the TK 70-562 book.

PS: TK 70-562 is for the ASP.NET 3.5 exam; perhaps you were confusing this
with another book/exam related to Sharepoint?

Thanks.

Kindest regards,

"Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:

> "Sean Dockery" <> wrote in message
> news:CE7B5F1D-D171-4003-A36B-...
> > I'm a little confused as to the notion of "Web Site" alluded to in the TK
> > 70-562 book in Figure 1-12: The configuration file hierarchy. Is Web Site
> > an
> > IIS notion?
>
> Sean, these are fundamental Sharepoint Administration questions, not really
> Sharepoint Development questions, so you may find it useful to review some
> Sharepoint Administration materials along the way.
>
> And, even prior to that, you might find an introduction to ASP.NET
> fundamentals useful, as Sharepoint is entirely based on ASP.NET.
>
> As to the question, though, in Sharepoint at "Web Site" is a logical
> construct that represents a security and functionality boundary for a
> defined group of users and content. Multiple "sites" make up a Site
> Collection, and a Site Collection is implemented, physically, as an IIS
> Virtual Server.
>
> > Figure 1-12 seems to suggest that a Web.config file that exists in the
> > root
> > directory of the Default Web Site in IIS can affect applications deployed
> > to
> > virtual directories that the Default Web Site contains. Is my
> > understanding
> > correct?
>
> Yes. The values defined in a web.config are hierarchically applied. A
> web.config can exist in a number of different places, and has scope at that
> level and down. It can exist in the IIS virtual server root, where it has
> scope over the entire IIS virtual server; it can exist in an IIS virtual
> directory (typically the root of an application), where it has scope over
> the application; and it can also exist in subfolders, where it would have
> scope over the content contained in that subfolder -- perhaps in the ~\bin
> folder of a v-root, where it has scope over just the executable content of
> the site, but not the HTML-based content.
>
>
> --
> Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
> Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
> Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)
>
> MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
> My Websites: http://www.onsitechsolutions.com;
> http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
> My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin
>
>

Sean Dockery

"Sean Dockery" <> wrote in message
news:9361F375-5C20-439B-A45E-...

> While I appreciate the obvious effort that you put into composing your
> reply, I'm not entirely sure how your discussion of Sharepoint applies and
> it
> is probably deeper than I'm prepared to absorb.

Due to my error... it doesn't... at all.


> I have come to realize that the concept of multiple Web Sites does not
> exist
> within IIS on Windows XP.

Aha! Yes.. IIS on WinXP is a totally different animal than IIS on a server
system.

> PS: TK 70-562 is for the ASP.NET 3.5 exam; perhaps you were confusing
> this
> with another book/exam related to Sharepoint?

Yeah.. I mistyped 70-542 into my browser - which is the Sharepoint AppDev
exam.

My apologies for the confusion.

--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My Websites: http://www.onsitechsolutions.com;
http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

Lawrence Garvin [MVP]