Welcome to the first chapter of the Windows Dedicated/VPS cookbook. The first thing we're going show you is how to create your website in IIS7. To do this, you'll need to bring up IIS Manager (which is the graphical user interface for IIS) on your server's deskstop.
1. Click the Windows Start button, then navigate to Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. Alternatively, you can search "IIS Manager" in the Start Search field. Note that you may also see the previous version of IIS Manager (IIS 6.0 Manager), but you will not be using that program.
2. Once IIS Manager appears, you'll see on the left window pane a menu tree with two options: the Start Page, which is what you're looking at when you first bring up IIS Manager, and your Server's Name, which will start with the letters "DED."
3. Next, you'll want to expand the node next to your server's name. You will see an item for Application Pools, and a folder called Sites.
4. Click on Sites.
5. After clicking Sites, you'll see a section called "Actions" on the right window pane. From there, you will need to click Add Web Site...
6. A dialog box called "Add Web Site" will appear. In the "Site name" field, enter your domain name. In our example here, and throughout the rest of the cookbook, we'll be using the domain "developernirvana.com." Simply replace developernirvana.com with your own domain name whenever we use it in examples.
7. After entering your domain name in the Site name field, you'll notice that your domain also automatically appears as the name of the "Application pool." You are able to create different application pools and assign websites to any pool you've set up in IIS7. However, unless you know what you're doing, you can keep the newly created application pool as is.
Next, you'll need to specify the physical path for your website on the server. Click the browse button next to the field.
8. Technically, you can place your website anywhere on the server. However, in our example, we'll be setting the path for your site under System C: Drive > inetpub. Once you've clicked on inetpub, click on the Make New Folder button.
9. Provide a name for your site's directory, then click OK.
10. Under the "Binding" section, you will need to select an IP address for your website. On the "Dedicated Server Built" email you received from us, we provided you with 2 IP addresses. Ultimately, it does not matter which of the two IP addresses you decide to use to set up your website with, but it is important that you remember which of the two addresses you used here for consistency later on when we move on to configure DNS, SmarterStats, and SmarterMail. From here on out, I will refer to the IP address you choose here as your Primary IP address.
11. For "Host name," enter your domain name with "www." as the prefix. For example, if your domain is developernirvana.com, you'll enter www.developernirvana.com. Be sure that the "Start Web site immediately" check box is checked off (because we do want the site to start immediately), then click OK.
12. When the dialog box disappears, you'll see that your website is listed on the center pane in IIS Manager. If you see a red "x" mark next to your domain, as shown in the example below, you will want to refresh the IIS Manager page to ensure that "x" goes away.
13. Next, back on left window pane, expand the "Sites" folder node, then Click on your domain. Then, under the "Actions" section on the right window pane, click Bindings.
14. The "Site Bindings" dialog box will appear. Click Add.
15. On the IP address drop down, select your primary IP address (which would be the same IP address you selected on step 10).
16. For the "Host name" field, enter in your domain name WITHOUT the "www." in front of it. Then click OK.
17. On the "Site Bindings" dialog box, you will now see two items listed. Your domain WITH the "www." prefix, and your domain WITHOUT the "www." prefix. Both should also share the same exact IP address. Click Close.
You've just finished creating a website in IIS7.
