Use this tab to create and manage virtual directories on your Web site. Virtual directories are pointers to Web files and Web folders that are stored on your computer and are used for content management. Configuring virtual directories is similar to configuring Web sites.

Setting up local or network paths allows the request to be directed to the correct physical location. You can further configure the physical location by setting user access rights, choosing whether to log requests for these resources, and choosing whether to index this site using the Indexing Service. To specify when the request is received, applications must be identified, located, and given the appropriate execute permissions and protection.

The content for this resource should come from

This setting allows you to define the location of the content for this virtual directory.

A directory located on this computer

Click to permit users to access a specified directory on this computer to view or update Web content. You can type the directory name in the Local path text box. You can control access to the contents by implementing any Windows security method.

A share located on another computer

Click to permit users to view or update Web content on another computer that has an active connection to this computer. If you have administrative credentials on the remote computer, you can control access to the contents by implementing any Windows security method. When selected, you can enter the server name and directory name in the Network Directory box. Click Connect As to enter network user name and password information.

A redirection to a URL

Click to redirect the client application, such as a browser, to another Web site or virtual directory. When selected, redirect options are substituted for path options.

If you click either A directory located on this computer or A share located on another computer, the following options are available:

Local path

When content comes from a directory located on this computer, this box displays the path to the directory that stores your Web site files. By default, these files are stored in the systemdrive\inetpub\wwwroot directory.

Browse

Click to locate directory path.

Script source access

Select to allow users to access source code if either Read or Write permissions are set. Source code includes scripts in ASP applications.

Read

Select to allow users to read or download files or directories and their associated properties.

Write

Select to allow users to upload files and their associated properties to the enabled directory on your server or to change content in a Write-enabled file. Write access is allowed only when a browser that supports the PUT feature of the HTTP 1.1 protocol standard.

Directory browsing

Select to allow users to see a hypertext listing of the files and subdirectories in this virtual directory. Because virtual directories do not appear in directory listings, users must know a virtual directory's alias. If Directory browsing is disabled and the user does not specify a file name, the Web server displays an "Access Forbidden" error message in the user's Web browser.

Log visits

Select to configure IIS to record visits to this directory in a log file. Visits are recorded only if logging is enabled for this Web site.

Index this resource

Select to allow the Microsoft Indexing Service to include this directory in a full-text index of your Web site.

Note

Before setting this option, you must enable the Indexing Service through the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel.

Application name

Type the name of the root directory that contains the files and subdirectories of an application.

Starting point

This displays the metabase node where the application is configured.

Execute permissions

This option determines the program execution level allowed for this site's resources.

Application pool

Click the application pool from the list box that is associated with this home directory.

Remove/Create

Click to remove an application, or to create an application from the Web site while leaving the virtual directory intact.

Configuration

Click to configure application mappings, options, and debugging features.

Unload

Click to unload an isolated application from memory, or to unload a pooled application not referenced by any other application.

If you click A redirection to a URL, the following options are available:

Redirect to

Type a fully qualified URL from which the content will be served.

The exact URL entered above

Select to redirect a virtual directory to the destination URL without adding any other portions of the original URL. You can use this option to redirect an entire virtual directory to one file. For example, to redirect all requests for the /scripts virtual directory to the Default.htm file in the home directory, type /Default.htm in the Redirect to box and select this option.

A directory below URL entered

Select to redirect a parent directory to a child directory. For example, to redirect your home directory (designated by /) to a subdirectory named /newhome, type /newhome in the Redirect To box and select this option. Without this option, the Web server will continually map the parent to itself.

A permanent redirection for this resource

Click to send the following message to the client: "301 Permanent Redirect." Redirects are considered temporary, and the client browser receives the following message: "302 Temporary Redirect." Some browsers can use the "301 Permanent Redirect" message as the signal to permanently change a URL, such as a bookmark.

Related Topics

To learn more about logging site activity and directory security, see the IIS 6.0 online documentation on the Microsoft Windows Server TechCenter.