Deploying an ASP.NET Core app to IIS isn’t complicated. However, ASP.NET Core hosting is different compared to hosting with ASP.NET, because ASP.NET Core uses different configurations.
IIS, on the other hand, is a web server that utilizes the Windows OS and the ASP.NET framework. IIS’s function in this situation is to host ASP.NET Core-built apps.
In this article, we’ll look at how to integrate ASP.NET Core with IIS. Let’s examine the procedures for deploying ASP.NET Core to IIS without further ado.
How to Setup an ASP.NET Core Application for IIS
When starting a new ASP.NET Core project, you will immediately discover that it is a console application. The following code is also present in your project’s Program.cs file, which is similar to a console application:
public class Program
{
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
var host = new WebHostBuilder()
.UseKestrel()
.UseContentRoot(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory())
.UseIISIntegration()
.UseStartup()
.Build();
host.Run();
}
}What is the WebHostBuilder?
A WebHost object—essentially the application and web server—is necessary for all ASP.NET Core applications. To configure and create the WebHost in this instance, a WebHostBuilder is utilized. Usually, the setup code for WebHostBuilder contains the statements UseKestrel() and UseIISIntegration().
Why do these?
- UseKestrel() – Registers Kestrel as the server that will host your application by registering the IServer interface. Other solutions, such as the Windows-only WebListener, may become available in the future.
- UseIISIntegration() – Provides information to ASP.NET about how IIS will act as a reverse proxy in front of Kestrel, including the port it should listen on, forward headers, and other parameters.
If you are planning to deploy your application to IIS, UseIISIntegration() is required
What is AspNetCoreModule?
You may have noticed that ASP.NET Core projects create a web.config file. This is only used when deploying your application to IIS and registers the AspNetCoreModule as an HTTP handler.
Default web.config for ASP.NET Core:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <configuration> <system.webServer> <handlers> <add name="aspNetCore" path="*" verb="*" modules="AspNetCoreModule" resourceType="Unspecified"/> </handlers> <aspNetCore processPath="%LAUNCHER_PATH%" arguments="%LAUNCHER_ARGS%" stdoutLogEnabled="false" stdoutLogFile=".\logs\stdout" forwardWindowsAuthToken="false"/> </system.webServer> </configuration>
All incoming traffic to IIS is handled by AspNetCoreModule, which then serves as a reverse proxy that knows how to send traffic to your ASP.NET Core application. Its source code is accessible on GitHub. Additionally, AspNetCoreModule is in charge of launching your process and making sure that your web application is up and running.
Install .NET Core Windows Server Hosting Bundle
Installing the.NET Core hosting bundle for IIS, which includes the ASP.NET Core module for IIS and the.NET Core runtime, is necessary before you publish your application.
To make sure all the modifications are taken up by IIS after installation, you might need to do a “net stop was /y” and “net start w3svc” command.
Download: Windows Server Hosting for.NET Core – Select “Windows Server Hosting” without a doubt.
4 Steps to Deploy ASP.NET Core to IIS
Before you deploy, you need to make sure that WebHostBuilder is configured properly for Kestrel and IIS. Your web.config file should also exist and look similar to our example above.
1. Publish to a File Folder
2. Copy Files to Preferred IIS Location
Copy your publish output now to the location where you want the files to reside. You might want to zip up the files and transfer them to the server if you are deploying to a distant host. You can replicate them locally if you are deploying to a local development box.
I’m moving the files to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\AspNetCore46 for our example.
There is no bin folder with ASP.NET Core, and it might copy over a huge number of various.NET DLLs, as you will notice. If you are aiming for the entire.NET Framework, your application might also be an EXE file. Over 100 DLLs were produced by this tiny sample project.
3. Create Application in IIS
Creating your application in IIS is listed as a single “Step,” but you will actually do several different tasks. First, build a new IIS Application Pool with “No Managed Code” for the.NET CLR. IIS isn’t actually running any.NET code; it just functions as a reverse proxy.
The second option is to create your application under an already-existing or brand-new IIS Site. In any case, you must select your new IIS Application Pool and direct it to the location where you copied the ASP.NET publish output files.
4. Load Your Application
At this point, your application should load just fine. If it does not, check the output logging from it. Within your web.config file you define how IIS starts up your ASP.NET Core process. Enable output logging by setting stdoutLogEnabled=true. You may also want to change the log output location as configured in stdoutLogFile. Check out the example web.config before to see where they are set.
Where Can I Find Reliable and Cheap ASP.NET Core Hosting?
The following is my recommendation for ASP.NET Core web hosting:
1. ASPHostPortal: this is my first recommendation to host ASP.NET core website. It is a very reliable platform with a fast server and great customer support. It is a reliable ASP.NET Core hosting service for websites that do not require any special functionality or features.
2. HostForLIFE.eu: HostForLIFE is one of the best ASP.NET core web hosting in Europe. They support all ASP.NET version, start from Classic ASP, ASP.NET 1/2.0/3.5/4.0/4.5 and latest ASP.NET Core version. It is easy to deploy ASP.NET core website to their server.
3. UKWindowsHostASP.NET: One of the most reputable and affordable ASP.Net Core hosting companies in the world is UKWindowsHostASP.NET. It provides cloud hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and a wide range of adaptable alternatives for your company needs.
4. WindowsASPNETHosting.in: The finest host for developers and new businesses is WindowsASPNETHosting.in. For your web application or other project, WindowsASPNETHosting.in provides an ASP.NET, ASP,.Net Core, and SQL platform that you can easily extend with additional functionality.
5. DiscountService.biz: DiscountService committed to provide best, cheap, and reliable ASP.NET Core hosting services. They can offer you the quickest and safest platform to host your ASP.NET websites.
Conclusion
I hope above article can help you to publish your ASP.NET Core website easily to IIS. Instead of that, I also give some recommendation for ASP.NET core hosting in case you want to publish your ASP.NET core website online. Hope this helps and stay tune with other interesting tutorial and tips. Thank you for reading.
