Overview of IIS 7.0 differences Across Windows Vista Editions and Windows Server 2008 Editions
With the release of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 IIS 7.0 became available on all mainstream Windows Editions for the first time.
On Windows Vista Editions, IIS 7.0 will play a dual role. First, it offers web developers the complete web platform experience for building and testing web applications on Windows, for deployment on Windows Server, just like Windows XP. Second, it enables process activation and management and the necessary HTTP infrastructure for enabling connected consumer scenarios that will be built using the Windows Communication Foundation (WinFX).
Windows Vista Starter and Home Editions
The Windows Vista Starter and Home Editions are targeted at home and personal users who do not have the need to perform application or web development. IIS 7.0 Web Server and FTP Server features are not available on these editions. However, if you look closely you will notice specific components of IIS 7.0 that can be installed on these Editions. Please note, however, that installing these components will not provide a web server that supports static content, Classic ASP, or ASP.NET.
The IIS 7.0 components available on these Editions serve as supporting infrastructure for Microsoft's Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). Collectively the IIS 7.0 components that provide this infrastructure are referred to as the Windows Process Activation Service (WAS.) Users who install WCF based applications will not need to explicitly install WAS, rather these components will be installed by WCF as needed.
The IIS 7.0 simultaneous request execution limit for the Vista Starter and Home Editions is three.
See the Feature Summary below for a detailed list of IIS 7.0 features available on these Editions.
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
The IIS 7.0 role on the Windows Vista Home Premium Edition is to support the needs of the casual or hobbyist web developers; as such the majority of the IIS 7.0 Web Server features required for web site development are available. Features not normally associated with hobbyist web development such as FTP server, advanced Web authentication and authorization, and remote administration are not available on the Vista Home Premium Edition.
The IIS 7.0 simultaneous request execution limit for the Vista Home Premium Edition is three.
See the Feature Summary below for a detailed list of IIS 7.0 features available on this Edition.
Windows Vista Professional Editions
For the Windows Vista Professional Editions IIS 7.0 role is squarely targeted at the professional web developer and provides professional web developers to everything necessary to design, develop, and test web applications. (Professional Editions include Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate Editions.) All of the IIS 7.0 features available on Windows Server 2008 are available on the Professional Editions with the exception of remote administration. The Professional Editions places a limit of 10 simultaneous requests that can be processed.
See the Feature Summary below for a detailed list of IIS 7.0 features available on these Editions.
Windows Server 2008 Editions
With Windows Server 2008, IIS 7.0 is ready for full deployment of web applications: All features, including remote administration are available, and of course there is no request execution limitation.
See the Feature Summary below for a detailed list of IIS 7 features available on these Editions.
IIS 7.0 Vista Edition Feature Matrix
Display Names / Hierarchy
Package Update Names
Server
Pro
Premium
Basic & Starter
Internet Information Services
IIS-WebServerRole
Available
Available
Available
Available
World Wide Web Services
IIS-WebServer
Default
Default
Default
Default
Common Http Features
IIS-CommonHttpFeatures
Default
Default
Default
Default
Static Content
IIS-StaticContent
Default
Default
Default
N/A
Default Document
IIS-DefaultDocument
Default
Default
Default
N/A
Directory Browsing
IIS-DirectoryBrowsing
Default
Default
Default
N/A
HTTP Errors
IIS-HttpErrors
Default
Default
Default
Default
HTTP Redirection
IIS-HttpRedirect
Available
Available
Available
Available
Application Development Features
IIS-ApplicationDevelopment
Available
Available
Available
Available
ASP.NET
IIS-ASPNET
Available
Available
Available
N/A
.NET Extensibility
IIS-NetFxExtensibility
Available
Available
Available
Available
ASP
IIS-ASP
Available
Available
Available
N/A
CGI
IIS-CGI
Available
Available
Available
N/A
ISAPI Extensions
IIS-ISAPIExtensions
Available
Available
Available
N/A
ISAPI Filters
IIS-ISAPIFilter
Available
Available
Available
N/A
Server-Side Includes
IIS-ServerSideInclude
Available
Available
Available
N/A
Health and Diagnostics
IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics
Default
Default
Default
Default
HTTP Logging
IIS-HTTPLogging
Default
Default
Default
Default
Logging Tools
IIS-LoggingLibraries
Available
Available
Available
Available
Request Monitor
IIS-RequestMonitor
Default
Default
Default
Default
Tracing
IIS-HttpTracing
Available
Available
Available
Available
Custom Logging
IIS-CustomLogging
Available
Available
Available
N/A
ODBC Logging
IIS-ODBCLogging
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
Security
IIS-Security
Available
Available
Available
Available
Basic Authentication
IIS-BasicAuthentication
Available
Available
Available
N/A
Windows Authentication
IIS-WindowsAuthentication
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
Digest Authentication
IIS-DigestAuthentication
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
Client Certificate Mapping Authentication
IIS-ClientCertificateMappingAuthentication
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
IIS Client Certificate Mapping Authentication
IIS-IISCertificateMappingAuthentication
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
URL Authorization
IIS-URLAuthorization
Available
Available
Available
Available
Request Filtering
IIS-RequestFiltering
Available
Available
Available
Available
IP Security
IIS-IPSecurity
Available
Available
Available
Available
Performance Features
IIS-Performance
Default
Default
Default
Available
Static Content Compression
IIS-HttpCompressionStatic
Default
Default
Default
N/A
Http Compression Dynamic
IIS-HttpCompressionDynamic
Available
Available
Available
Available
Web Management Tools
IIS-WebServerManagementTools
Default
Default
Default
Default
IIS Management Console
IIS-ManagementConsole
Default
Default
Default
N/A
IIS Management Scripts and Tools
IIS-ManagementScriptingTools
Available
Available
Available
Available
IIS Management Service
IIS-ManagementService
Available
Available
Available
N/A
IIS 6 Management Compatibility
IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility
Available
Available
Available
Available
IIS Metabase and IIS 6 compatibility
IIS-Metabase
Available
Available
Available
Available
IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
IIS-WMICompatibility
Available
Available
Available
N/A
IIS 6 Scripting Tools
IIS-LegacyScripts
Available
Available
Available
N/A
IIS 6 Management Console
IIS-LegacySnapIn
Available
Available
Available
N/A
FTP Publishing Service
IIS-FTPPublishingService
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
FTP Server
IIS-FTPServer
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
FTP Management Console
IIS-FTPManagement
Available
Available
N/A
N/A
Windows Activation Service
WAS-WindowsActivationService
Available
Available
Available
Available
Process Model
WAS-ProcessModel
Default
Default
Default
Default
.NET Environment
WAS-NetFxEnvironment
Available
Available
Available
Available
Configuration APIs
WAS-ConfigurationAPI
Available
Available
Available
Available
Request Execution Limit
Unlimited
10
3
3
Summary
In this article we examined the differences in IIS 7.0 across the Windows Vista and Server 2008 Editions.
This module introduces the different editions of Windows, the features of each, and describes why and when you might select a specific Windows edition. This module also covers methods for installations.