What is IIS 7.0?
What is IIS 7?
Internet Information Services (IIS) is the Microsoft ASP.NET web server technology and is the cornerstone of nearly all web applications running in the .NET environment.
IIS version 7 was the release which modernized the platform for newer operating systems.
Currently, IIS is at version 10 (skipping 9), but changes since version 7 have been relatively minor, and we can use “IIS 7” as a shorthand for the whole group. Earlier versions are effectively obsolete.
History of IIS 7
The acronym IIS stands for “Internet Information Services,” but formerly stood for “Internet Information Server.”
The current version of IIS is 10.0. It’s included in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.
The version IIS 7.0 was released in 2008 as part of a massive overhaul from version 6.
Industry experts called the release of IIS 7 one of the most important developments of the Microsoft web architecture.
How does IIS 7 Differ from IIS 6?
The vision behind the overhaul was to take the proven speed, reliability and security of the existing IIS 6.0 codebase, and transform it into a highly extensible and manageable platform.
This overhaul was the largest in the history of the product and made IIS easy to deploy and easy to customize for individual project needs.
Innovations of IIS 7
Prior to version 7, small changes had been made since the initial release, but with Windows Web server 2008, a full stack integration of database and FTP server was created.
Additionally, IIS 7 came out with a graphical tool called IIS Manager, which allows for local and remote administration and could run on all available Microsoft operating systems.
For OS versions newer than Windows 7 or Server 2008, reverse compatibility mode might be needed for some IIS modules.
What are the Main Features of IIS 7?
IIS 7, and the newer versions offer a host of application functions and serve to direct website users based on the site navigation through page routing.
IIS 7 allows for both static and MVC-controlled applications and can be integrated into Visual Studio for fast deployment of application templates for websites.
At a high level, IIS 7 and later versions bring unparalleled full stack support, creating a controlled but comfortable environment for developers to author secure applications.
- IIS has a simple text-based configuration which can be imported and exported.
- The “IIS Manager” tool allows for administration of the web server local or remote.
- Developers and IT-Professionals can access command-line controls, WMI, and .NET framework APIs.
- IIS 7 administrators can delegate configuration tasks to lower privileged site owners or developers.
- Shared configuration mode allows for global control of features across an entire server farm.
- Diagnostic and Trouble-shooting tools make debugging and fault-detection easy and clean.
- The modular, extensible architecture of IIS7 modernizes it from version 6, and makes .NET feature addition easy through an API.
- IIS 7 runs a fully integrated HTTP Processing pipeline, which lets more powerful applications run and deliver content quickly.
- Additional support for FastCGI frameworks like PHP and other independent web languages.
What are the Currently Available Versions of IIS?
The currently available versions of IIS, from 7.0 onward, are:
| Version | Included with server | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | Vista, Windows Server 2008 | |
| 7.5 | Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 | Supports TLS 1.1 and 1.2 |
| 8.0 | Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 | Improved SSL certificate handling |
| 8.5 | Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 | |
| 10.0 | Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 | Supports HTTP/2 |
There’s no IIS 9, probably for the same reason that there’s no Windows 9.
What are IIS 7 Modules?
Modules are independent “building blocks” that you can add to your server to expand the functionality to your applications. IIS 7 comes with over 30 of these modules.
It should be noted that with the module-based system engineered into IIS 7.0 – a variety of deeply configurable features are possible.
Examples of IIS 7 Modules
→ Security modules can beef up systematic checks for the request handling pipeline, URL authorization, and authentication.
→ Compression modules increase the ability to process requests for static files and make it easier to list contents of a site directory.
Module Advances in IIS 7.5: The Modern .NET Framework
Version 7.5 – extends version 7 and is included in both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
It also comes with improved support for the file transfer modules using either FTP or WebDAV.
It also allows for command-line control from Windows PowerShell and introduces security support with TLS 1.1 and 1.2.
This allows for increased:
- Client certificate mapping
- IP security
- Request filtering
Older versions of SSL and TLS have known security problems, so using at least version 7.5 is highly advisable.
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Module Advances in IIS 8 – IIS 10: SSL and HTTP/2
Overall, IIS 7.0 and 7.5 created the modern .NET framework, version 8 and 8.5 exist with additional support for SSL and newer versions of Windows operating systems (Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows 8.1).
Version 7.0 laid out the foundations of a more modular platform with tighter security and increased support for the ASP.NET ecosystem.
While using version 7.5 for projects with older Server OS systems is not recommended, sometimes the cost of upgrading servers can mean avoiding those upgrades. For that reason, many web applications still use these older versions of IIS, which are proven to be dependable and deeply secure.
IIS 10: Support for HTTP/2
The most obvious advance in IIS 10 is support for HTTP/2.
This revision of the HTTP protocol:
- Compresses headers
- Reuses connections
- Allows push responses
Recent browsers support these features, which improve the efficiency of web access.
What Web Technologies Does IIS 7 Support?
While the main feature of IIS is its support for Microsoft technologies such as the C# language, ASP.NET, and SQL Server, it lets you use most of the web technologies that other well-known browsers support, including:
- PHP5 and PHP7
- Java (Apache Tomcat)
- Ruby on Rails
- Python
- Perl
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- MongoDB
In some cases, the IIS setup is more complicated than with Apache, but all of them are doable.
IIS 7 Installation and Hosting
While most versions of Windows can run a variety of web servers, only IIS and Node.js have strong built-in support for the Entity Framework and ASP.NET environment.
IIS7 Support is automatic in the .NET ecosystem, but Node.js and any IIS applications can be acquired through Visual Basic’s use of the “NuGet” package manager.
“Windows hosting” isn’t the same as IIS hosting.
Windows servers can run Apache, Nginx, and other web server software as well.
If you’re looking for Windows hosting, though, it’s probably to take advantage of Microsoft’s native frameworks, and you want IIS for that. You may need to ask what server software the hosting site uses, and what version.
How Do I Install IIS 7?
Installation can be done from a downloadable location or depending on the version of your operating system, IIS Express can be turned on directly through control panel settings.
IIS itself is free, but the server which it runs on costs money to license the operating system.
For this reason, hosting on a dedicated can be more costly, but depending on the host, the licensing costs might be covered.
Many hosts let you configure IIS with the Plesk control panel. You might want to do some of these things when setting it up:
- Force use of SSL
- Set up custom error pages
- Restrict access by IP address or passwords
Many major hosting providers and resellers exist who can run Shared Windows hosting (with IIS servers) – which typically cost very little, but may suffer performance issues when compared to a dedicated machine.
The same is true of any other operating system though, a shared hosting environment in Linux also is cheaper but has less control over performance.
Really, what needs to be taken into consideration is the size of the project, number of potential users, and the level of security needed.
How to Find a Good IIS 7 Host
What considerations should be taken when finding a host for an IIS 7 or 7.5 application?
What Version of Windows Server is Being Used?
The biggest technical consideration should be whether or not the provider has Windows Server 2008 R2 or newer.
Nearly all Microsoft OS hosts should have this qualification.
Security Protocols and Microsoft Specialization
Beyond that, understanding the security protocols used by your host will be vitally important, and selecting a host which specializes directly in Microsoft hosting versus using multiple platforms – could mean having better troubleshooting support.
Be sure to compare host reviews for support and select a host with great technology awareness.
My Top 3 Host Picks for IIS 7
GoDaddy’s Windows VPS plans use Windows 2008 or 2012. They include IIS 7.5 with Windows Web Hosting plans and 8.0 with Plesk (VPS).
Phone and email support are available, with varying hours. Prices are reasonable, and GoDaddy has datacenters around the world.
It’s best known as a domain registration site, but GoDaddy has made major strides in its web hosting in recent years.
A2 Hosting includes “the best version” of IIS with its Windows hosting plans. Its servers use Windows Server 2012, so this presumably means IIS 8.5.
Guaranteed 99.9% uptime and 24/7 technical support make it a reliable hosting provider.
Managed and unmanaged VPS plans let you suit your hosting to your level of server expertise.
BigRock has Windows hosting and reseller plans, using Windows 2008, Plesk, and ASP.NET, at reasonable prices.
It provides 24-hour tech support by phone, chat, and email. All plans promise 99.9% uptime and unmetered bandwidth. It’s best suited for entry-level through small businesses.
Summary: IIS 7
- Supported Microsoft web server
- Works with Microsoft technologies such as ASP.NET
- Supports most third-party web technology
- Runs only on Windows
Recommended Reading
Microsoft documentation on installing IIS 7
Other features in Web Servers
Undecided on an IIS host?
If you need IIS 7 hosting we recommend GoDaddy’s Windows plans. If you’re upgrading to IIS 8.5 or 10 explore A2 Hosting — they just scored #1 in our recent speed and performance tests.
IIS 7.0 Frequently Asked Questions
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