IIS 5.0 Functions and Features in Windows 2000

Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.0 is the built-in web server suite included with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating systems, designed to host websites, web applications, and network services. This article provides a focused breakdown of the primary functions of IIS 5.0, including its supported communication protocols, application hosting capabilities, administration tools, and security mechanisms.

Core Web and Protocol Hosting

The primary function of IIS 5.0 is to deliver static and dynamic web content across local intranets and the public internet. It functions as a multi-protocol server offering built-in support for:

  • HTTP and HTTPS: Serves standard web pages and encrypted web traffic using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL 3.0) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).
  • File Transfer Protocol (FTP): Facilitates direct file uploads and downloads between clients and the server.
  • Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP): Routes and delivers outgoing email messages generated by web applications.
  • Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP): Enables the hosting of internal electronic discussion groups and news feeds.

Dynamic Application Hosting

IIS 5.0 transformed Windows 2000 into an application server platform through native support for server-side scripting and component execution:

  • Active Server Pages (ASP): Executes server-side VBScript and JScript to generate dynamic HTML based on user input and database queries.
  • Database Connectivity: Leverages ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) to connect dynamic web pages to databases such as Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access.
  • ISAPI Extensions and Filters: Supports Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) components for high-performance application processing, request filtering, and custom authentication.
  • CGI Support: Runs Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts and executables written in languages such as Perl or C++.

Application Isolation and Reliability

Compared to its predecessor, IIS 4.0, IIS 5.0 introduced improved process isolation models to prevent unstable web applications from crashing the entire server:

  • Low Isolation (In-Process): Runs web applications directly inside the core web service process (inetinfo.exe) for maximum performance.
  • Medium Isolation (Pooled): The default mode in IIS 5.0, grouping applications into a shared out-of-process container (dllhost.exe), protecting the core server process from crashes.
  • High Isolation (Isolated): Isolates individual applications inside dedicated out-of-process containers for critical or unstable workloads.

Security and Windows 2000 Integration

IIS 5.0 is tightly integrated with the Windows 2000 operating system security infrastructure:

  • Authentication Methods: Supports Anonymous access, Basic authentication, Integrated Windows Authentication (Kerberos and NTLM), and Digest authentication.
  • Active Directory Integration: Integrates with Active Directory to enforce access permissions using Windows NTFS file permissions.
  • Certificate Services: Enables certificate-based client and server authentication via integrated public key infrastructure (PKI).

Management and Administration

Administration of IIS 5.0 is handled through the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) via the Internet Information Services snap-in. It supports remote administration via a web browser interface and automated configuration through Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) scripts.