How to Stage the IIS Metabase

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This topic describes how to stage the IIS metabase of a Web site by using the Commerce Server Staging (CSS) Microsoft Management Console (MMC). A metabase is a binary format file that contains information about a server that is running IIS. The metabase contains information about the files, virtual server, and the settings for the server that is running IIS.

You can use this procedure as part of a two-part process of replicating any Web site. The first part is to stage the IIS metabase. The second part is to stage the Web content. The Web site that you replicate does not have to be a Commerce Server site.

The IIS metabase can be staged from a source staging server to the following:

  • An endpoint or single destination server.

  • Multiple endpoints.

    Note

    IIS metabase replication is supported only when the source and destination are different servers. IIS metabase replication cannot be performed through a waypoint or routes.

This topic provides instructions for how to define the IIS metabase project(s) based on the server role they have as defined by the staging topology. For information about IIS metabase project staging options, see IIS Metabase Staging Options.

Follow these steps to stage the IIS metabase.

To prepare to stage the IIS metabase

  1. Determine the staging credentials that you will use when you stage the IIS metabase. For information about staging credentials, see How Are CSS Authentication Accounts Defined and Managed?

  2. For each server in the staging topology, log in to the server and create the staging credentials that are required to create and stage the project.

    Dd451899.alert_caution(en-us,CS.95).gifImportant Note:

    To create staging projects, you must log into the staging server where you access the CSS MMC with an account that is a member of the CSS Administrators group. Also, to create the projects on the remote servers, the accounts you use to connect to the remote host servers must also be members of the CSS Administrators group on the host server.

  3. For each endpoint in the staging topology, configure the required IIS metabase permissions for the CSS service account and CSS users. The CSS service account must have permissions to update the IIS metabase. CSS users must have permissions to view the Web sites within the project properties dialog boxes accessed from the CSS MMC. For information about how to grant these permissions, see How to Configure Access to the IIS Metabase.

To stage the IIS metabase

  1. For each CSS server in the staging topology, add the server to the CSS MMC and optionally configure its properties. For information about how to add and configure a CSS server, see How to Add and Configure a CSS Server.

    Note

    In the CSS MMC, you can define projects and routes that reference CSS servers which have not been added to the MMC. However, for verification and remote management purposes, we recommend that you add the CSS servers to the MMC.

  2. For the source staging server, create an IIS metabase project. For information about how to create an IIS metabase project, see How to Create a Project for Staging the IIS Metabase.

    Note

    You can only create IIS metabase projects manually. That is, you cannot use the New Project Wizard to create IIS metabase projects.

    Add as many Destinations as you have endpoints in the staging topology.

  3. For each endpoint server in the staging topology, create an IIS metabase project with the same name as the project you that you created in step 2.

    For each endpoint server, specify the following:

    • Leave the Destination unspecified.

    • The properties on the Filters, Advanced, and Schedule tabs should be undefined. These properties are ignored for endpoints. The project that is defined for the endpoint starts replication as soon as it receives the IIS metabase that is transmitted.

      Note

      CSS does not stage server-specific settings, such as IP addresses and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. If any ISAPI filters for a virtual directory on the source staging server do not match those that are on the destination server, CSS does not set any one of the filter properties on the destination server.

  4. To stage the IIS metabase, start project replication manually. Otherwise, the IIS metabase will be staged according to the Schedule replication time that you set on the source staging server.

    For information about how to start replication, see How to Start Project Replication.

  5. (Optional) To view the progress of a staging project, you can check the status of the project on the source staging server. The status is indicated in the Project view for each server. Or, you can view the Replication report on the source staging server.

    For more information about CSS reports, see How to View Local Staging Events.

See Also

Other Resources

How to Create a Project for Staging the IIS Metabase

How to Change the Specified Metabase

How to Configure Access to the IIS Metabase

How to Start Project Replication

How to View Local Staging Events

IIS Metabase Staging Options

Web Content Staging Options

How Are CSS Authentication Accounts Defined and Managed?

Staging Web Sites and Commerce Server Data