Installing the Remote Service
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, Windows XP
The Web Deploy remote service should be installed on servers that will be accessed remotely. If your source computer will be a remote server, you must install the remote service on the remote server. You can then use the Msdeploy.exe command on a local server to request data from the remote source. In this case, the local server is the destination computer. You do not have to install the remote service on the local computer in such a scenario.
Important
A recommended best practice is to install the same version of the Web Deployment Tool on both the source and destination computers. Web Deploy versions are likely to be forward compatible, but not necessarily backward compatible. For example, if you use a new feature of a later version on the source to perform a sync operation to a destination that has an earlier version of Web Deploy, you will receive an error, and the synchronization will fail. To check which version of Web Deploy is installed, you can type msdeploy | find "Version" at a command prompt.
You can install the remote service either during or after the installation of Web Deploy. Both methods are described in the sections that follow.
Important
If you want the remote service to listen on a custom URL, see Customizing and Securing the Remote Service.
Installing the remote service during the installation of Web Deploy
If you have not yet downloaded the Windows Installer file for Web Deploy, see Web Deployment Tool Installation and follow the instructions to download the Web Deploy file. After you start the installation, return to this topic and follow these steps.
On the Welcome to the Microsoft Web Deployment Tool Setup Wizard page, click Next.
On the End-User License Agreement page, select the I accept the terms in the license agreement box, and then click Next.
On the Choose Setup Type page, click Custom.
On the Custom Setup page, click the Remote Agent Service down arrow, select Will be installed on local hard drive, and then click Next.
Click Install.
Click Finish.
Installing the remote service after the installation of Web Deploy
If Web Deploy is already installed, but the remote service has not yet been installed, follow the steps that correspond to your operating system version.
To install the Web Deploy remote service on Windows Server 2003
Click Start, Control Panel, and then select Add or Remove Programs.
Select Microsoft Web Deployment Tool and then click Change.
Click Next.
Click Change.
Click the Remote agent service down arrow, select Will be installed on local hard drive, and then click Next.
Click Change.
After the installation finishes, click Finish.
To install the Web Deploy remote service on Windows Server 2008
Click Start, Control Panel, and then select Programs and Features.
Right-click Microsoft Web Deployment Tool and select Change.
Click Next.
Click Change.
Click the Remote agent service down arrow, select Will be installed on local hard drive, and then click Next.
Click Change.
After the installation finishes, click Finish.
After installing the remote service
After you install the remote service, it will be in a stopped state and its startup type will be set to Manual. To start the remote service and change the default startup type, see Managing the Remote Service.
By default, the remote service uses port 80. If necessary, you can enable this port through the firewall by running netsh firewall add portopening TCP 80 WdeployAgent at an administrative command prompt.