This document briefly describes how you can publish ASP.NET pages on a localhost for development purposes. The same concepts apply, though, when deploying an ASP.NET application to a remote Web server.

To be accessible to Web-based clients such as browsers ( and Intenet-enabled mobile devices ), ASP.NET pages must be hosted on a Microsoft Windows^® 2000 and later Server or XP Professional operating system with ASP.NET and Internet Information Services, or IIS, the Web server component of Microsoft Windows server operating systems, installed.

NOTE: For the most up-to-date information on system requirements and supported platforms, see the Readme.htm file for the .NET Framework.

• If you have installed the stand-alone SDK, the Readme file is located in the Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0\ subdirectory.
• If you have installed the .NET Framework as part of Visual Studio 2005, the Readme file is located in the Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0 subdirectory.

NOTE: Although newer versions of Web development tools such as Visual Studio does not require IIS for development purposes, the discussions here focus on developing applications for actual deployment.

IIS is usually installed by default with the server operating system unless otherwise specified. If not, simply install it from your Windows installation CD.

1. Click Start, point to Control Panel, and click Add or Remove Programs.
2. When the Add or Remove Programs dialog appears, select Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. When the Windows Components Wizard dialog appears, scroll down the list of components and select Internet Information Services (IIS), and click Next.

The .NET Framework 2.0 SDK or Visual Studio .NET products install ASP.NET as a part of the setup process. If you are using earlier OS, .NET or VS versions, ASP.NET is a separate component that is available for download from the Microsoft ASP.NET site.

ASP.NET files can be deployed throughout an IIS virtual directory tree, which can be created using the Internet Services Manager ( inetmgr.exe ).

NOTE: You must have system administrator privileges to be able to create a virtual directory.

• Click Start, click Run, then type inetmgr in the Open textbox.



• Or, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, then click Internet Services Manager.

If you do not see Administrative Tools on your Start Menu as shown above, click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, then click Internet Services Manager.

1. In Internet Services Manager, right-click on the Web site to which you want to add a directory ( for this purpose, choose the Default Web Site ).
2. Point to New, then select Virtual Directory.



3. Follow the steps in the Virtual Directory Creation Wizard to complete the task.

If you are using NTFS, you can also create a virtual directory from within Windows^® Explorer by right-clicking on the starting-point directory, and then click Sharing. A directory properties dialog box as shown below should appear.

• Select the Web Sharing property sheet, click the Share this folder radio button, then click Add.

The below image shows how the virtual directory of this workshop is configured in the author's local Web server ( under the default IIS Web site ), along with other virtual directories ( vvs, nbc, and mandagov ). You should see something similar in your IIS admin console once your virtual directory has been setup.