Exploring the IIS Manager Administration Panes in Windows Server 2008



Each area within the IIS Manager console is referenced by a descriptive word. For example, the descriptive words associated with the areas or panes such as the Connections pane make it easier to identify the location of the IIS features. The following is a list of the panes included in the IIS Manager console and their respective functions:

1) The Connections pane: The Connections pane is placed on the left side of the console and displays the IIS console tree, which is also known as the node tree. Web administrators can conduct the following tasks from within this pane:

a) View the Start Page
b) Connect to a server, site, or application
c) Manage server settings
d) Configure IIS, application pools, FTP, and websites

2) Central Details pane: Also known as the “workspace,” this large pane is located in the center of the IIS 7 management console. This pane displays the configuration options for each IIS feature installed. Each feature is represented by a new icon and replaces the legacy property sheets and tabs that most administrators in the industry were not too fond of in the past. The feature icons can be grouped by category or area; otherwise, grouping can be turned off.

3) Actions pane: The Actions pane is placed on the right side of the console and displays common actions, including wizards associated with each task. This pane also typically contains multiple tabs for the different options available based on the node chosen.