Matevž Gačnik's Weblog

This post will focus on how to enable IIS7 in Windows Vista client and to use it to host a service activated Windows Workflow.

Procedure is based on the current build of Windows Vista (5381.1), which is a RC1 for Beta 2 milestone. Also, WinFX February CTP is used, which includes Windows Workflow Foundation Beta 2.

There are a couple of prerequisite steps necessary to enable hosting, first of all, installing IIS7. Go to Control Panel/Programs/Turn on or off Windows Features and enable 'Internet Information Services':

Installer in build 5381.1 (and 5365) is stable enough to be useful. If you're running a previous build of Vista (5308, 5342) consider installing IIS by running this monster in the command prompt:

start /w pkgmgr /l:log.etw /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;IIS-WebServer;IIS-CommonHttpFeatures;IIS-StaticContent;IIS-DefaultDocument;IIS-DirectoryBrowsing;IIS-HttpErrors;IIS-HttpRedirect;IIS-ApplicationDevelopment;IIS-ASPNET;IIS-NetFxExtensibility;IIS-ASP;IIS-CGI;IIS-ISAPIExtensions;IIS-ISAPIFilter;IIS-ServerSideIncludes;IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics;IIS-HttpLogging;IIS-LoggingLibraries;IIS-RequestMonitor;IIS-HttpTracing;IIS-CustomLogging;IIS-ODBCLogging;IIS-Security;IIS-BasicAuthentication;IIS-WindowsAuthentication;IIS-DigestAuthentication;IIS-ClientCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-IISCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-URLAuthorization;IIS-RequestFiltering;IIS-IPSecurity;IIS-Performance;IIS-HttpCompressionStatic;IIS-HttpCompressionDynamic;IIS-WebServerManagementTools;IIS-ManagementConsole;IIS-ManagementScriptingTools;IIS-ManagementService;IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility;IIS-Metabase;IIS-WMICompatibility;IIS-LegacyScripts;IIS-LegacySnapIn;IIS-FTPPublishingService;IIS-FTPServer;IIS-FTPManagement;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel;WAS-NetFxEnvironment;WAS-ConfigurationAPI

Make sure you also check ASP.NET under World Wide Web Services/Application Development features, since this will install and enable ASP .NET 2.0 under all IIS7 sites. You can also do this later on using aspnet_regiis.exe, but Vista will notify you that the preferred way is using Turn on or off Windows features dialog.

Now, when you have IIS installed run the administrative console inside Administrative Tools and define a web application by right clicking on Default Web Site:

This will allow you to run your workflow as a service inside the default application pool. You can check and notice that default application pool uses a new integrated IIS7 mode and not ISAPI as in IIS5/6.

You're ready to deploy your workflow activated service now. use the steps described in my previous post, under Ad 1.

When you hit the service endpoint you get this:

IIS7 is noticing you that your config files are not compatible with the new hosting model.

You have two options:

• Change the configuration files
• Change the hosting model

You can change the configuration files by running: c:\windows\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe migrate config "<Site name>/<VRoot name>". AppCmd.exe is a tool which automatically migrates your old config, to IIS7's new config format.

Another option is that you enable old style ISAPI hosting model inside your application pool that is running your default web site (or another site, if that's what the workflow is supposed to be running under). You can do this either by:

1. Running c:\windows\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set app "<Site name>/<VRoot name>" /applicationPool: "Classic .NET AppPool". This changes the site to use another, preconfigured app pool, which uses ISAPI by default.

Here's a screenshot of the default pipeline modes for IIS7:

2. Changing the hosting model on the current Default Web Site site. You can right click on Application Pools/DefaultAppPool and select Set Application Pool Defaults. Then you change the pipeline mode from Integrated to ISAPI. Here's how you do it:

I prefer going through route 1. Integrated mode is how you should be running your sites under IIS7, so changing the config to make IIS7 happy is the way to go. If you have specific ISAPI functionality (not limited to Workflows) you can, though run in classic mode by designing your app pool around it.

Now your service activated workflow will run and execute under IIS7. Again, beware of the caveats I described here.