Metabase Structure in IIS 6.0

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

The XML declaration <?xml version = "1.0"?> occupies the first line in MetaBase.xml and indicates that the file is formatted as XML. The root element, named <configuration>, contains all other elements.

The IIS_Global key is the highest-level key in the metabase that contains properties. Consider the IIS_Global key to be read-only; do not configure its properties.

The IIS_ROOT key (Location = /) is the highest-level key in which you can configure properties. Properties that are configured at the IIS_ROOT key affect the general operation of IIS.

The IIsComputer key (Location = /LM) contains all remaining metabase locations. Table 4.3 lists, in hierarchical order, child locations that can exist within the namespace of the /LM location. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP), and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) components are not installed with IIS by default. Therefore, the /LM/MSFTPSVC, /LM/NNTPSVC, and /LM/SmtpSvc locations do not exist in MetaBase.xml unless their respective components have been installed.

The Local Machine Namespace

The local machine (LM) namespace is the parent location in the hierarchical structure of keys where all services and sites are organized. These keys, each of which contains their own unique location, are organized in the following format:

/LM/Service/Site/ROOT/VirtualDirectory/Directory/File

Where the replaceable parameters are:

• Service = MSFTPSVC, NNTPSVC, SmtpSvc, or W3SVC

• Site = unique number identifier for the FTP, NNTP, SMTP, or Web, site

• ROOT = root virtual directory of the site

• VirtualDirectory = virtual directory

• Directory = physical directory

• File = file name

Each site is a server instance, and is referred to by the number used in its namespace. For example, /LM/W3SVC/1 specifies the location of the key that contains the first Web site, and /LM/MSFTPSVC/3 specifies the location of the key that contains the third FTP site.

Important

Beginning with IIS6.0, the default Web site is numbered 1, and when a new Web site is created, a Web site identification number is randomly generated based on the name of the Web site. You can enable sequential numbering of Web sites, which was the method of generating Web site identification numbers in IIS5.1 and earlier, by setting the IncrementalSiteIDCreation registry key to 1.

Table 4.3 lists the locations of the parent keys that are contained in the LM namespace. Because their child keys are too numerous, they are not listed here.

Table 4.3 Local Machine Locations

Location	Keys at this location
/LM/EventManager	Keys at the /LM/EventManager location and its child locations configure Microsoft Exchange Server. You should not configure keys at the /LM/EventManager location or its child keys by editing the MetaBase.xml file.
/LM/IISADMIN	Keys at the /LM/IISADMIN location and its child locations record DCOM extensions to IIS. Because the /LM/IISADMIN location is internally configured by IIS, you should not configure keys at /LM/IISADMIN or its child locations.
/LM/Logging	Keys at the /LM/Logging location and its child locations configure IIS logging.
/LM/MimeMap	Keys at the /LM/MimeMap location configure the MimeMap property.
/LM/MSFTPSVC	Keys at the /LM/MSFTPSVC location and its child locations configure the FTP service and sites.
/LM/NNTPSVC	Keys at the /LM/NNTPSVC location and its child locations configure the NNTP service and sites.
/LM/SmtpSvc	Keys at the /LM/SmtpSvc location and its child locations configure the SMTP service and sites.
/LM/W3SVC	Keys at the /LM/W3SVC location configure properties that are global to the WWW service.
/LM/W3SVC/1	Keys at the /LM/W3SVC/1 location and its child locations configure properties that are specific to the first Web site.
/LM/W3SVC/AppPools	Keys at the /LM/W3SVC/AppPools location configure properties that are global to all application pools. Keys at child locations, such as /LM/W3SVC/AppPools/DefaultAppPool, configure properties that are specific to a particular application pool.
/LM/W3SVC/Filters	Keys at the /LM/W3SVC/Filters location and its child locations configure Internet Server API (ISAPI) filters, and global compression schemes.
/LM/W3SVC/Info	Keys at the /LM/W3SVC/Info location configure properties that are global to all Web sites.
/LM/W3SVC/Info/Templates	The /LM/W3SVC/Info/Templates location and its child locations were used by the IIS Permissions Wizard in earlier versions of IIS. It remains solely for legacy compatibility. You should not configure keys at the /LM/W3SVC/Info/Templates location by editing the MetaBase.xml file.