Default Application Name

[Microsoft Newsserver]

Hi,

I dont get involved with IIS much, but recently we had a situation regarding
the Default Application name which I dont fully understand.

In essence, we have a main web and underneath it some virtual directories.

When I tried to rename/Apply the main webs "Default Application" name, to
something else, it told me this would reset the UNCPassword for the virtual
directories underneath it. I did it anyway, but it didnt seem to have much
effect so far. !!!!

I am not sure what this UNCPassword is for and how hit related to security
the the virtual directories underneath the main web

Any assistance to understand this would be appreciated.


Regards

 

[Cowboy \(Gregory A. Beamer\)]

If you are working with a default install of IIS, it is unlikely what you
have done will have any impact on you. If everything is working, I would not
sweat it. I have the same "issue" (or non-issue) on my server and everything
has been working for a long time. We reorged the names recently and things
are still working.

Where you are likely to get burned by these types of changes are when you
are using a third party software that gets configured when it is installed
to a web. Some have to have the UNCPassword. By default, it "should" matter
all the time, but IIS knows the changes, so it is not an issue.

 

[Cowboy \(Gregory A. Beamer\)]

I just thought of one other potential burn and that is when you are mapping
to other machines, using UNC. I still think IIS can handle it as long as you
are not dealing with third party applications that access IIS, but that is
another thing that could potentially cause problems.

With a normal, I am creating virtual directories or subwebs, you are not
likely to have any issues.

 

[Cowboy \(Gregory A. Beamer\)]

Short answer: It protects the UNC path so someone cannot use IIS to
circumvent security. When it matters is when you are attaching to another
computer through IIS. If you are not doing this, you will probably do fine
to ignore the warnings.