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Create a Web application (SharePoint Server 2010)

 

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010

A Web application is composed of an Internet Information Services (IIS) Web site that acts as a logical unit for the site collections that you create. Before you can create a site collection, you must first create a Web application.

Each Web application is represented by a different IIS Web site with a unique or shared application pool. You can assign each Web application a unique domain name, which helps to prevent cross-site scripting attacks.

You use Web applications to isolate content. When you create a new Web application, you also create a new content database and define the authentication method used to connect to the database. In addition, you define an authentication method to be used by the IIS Web site in SharePoint Server 2010.

SharePoint Server 2010 offers two ways of authenticating users, as follows:

For more information about both types of authentication, see Plan authentication methods (SharePoint Server 2010).

SharePoint Server 2010 provides a set of services applications that are available for each Web application. You can select which service applications you want to use for each Web application that you create. For more information, see Technical diagrams (SharePoint Server 2010), Define managed paths (SharePoint Server 2010), and Service application and service management (SharePoint Server 2010).

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See Also

Concepts

Extend a Web application (SharePoint Server 2010)
Create a site collection (SharePoint Server 2010)
Logical architecture planning (SharePoint Server 2010)

Other Resources

Configure Web Server Security (IIS 7)
Resource Center: Installation and Deployment for SharePoint Server 2010
Resource Center: Security and Authentication for SharePoint Server 2010