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CChong
Level 11 Flexeran
Level 11 Flexeran

Creating a Virtual Dirctory with the correct Folder structure, HOW???

I am using IIS 5.1 and Installshield 2009 MSI.
I want to use the Internet Information Services item to install the virtual directory.
I want to create a Virtual directory of this structure
[IISRootFolder]MyCompany\MyProduct\MyApplication and I want the Virtual Directory to be MyApplication.
It seems that no matter what I try, after the install, the virtual directory appears in IIS 5.1 as
Default Website/MyApplication instead of Default Website/MyCompany/MyProduct/MyApplication.
How do I configure my virtual folder to have my desired structure? Thanks
Here is the way I have set it up in Installshield.
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joshstechnij
Level 10 Flexeran
Level 10 Flexeran

To obtain this structure, it would be necessary to create virtual directories for MyCompany, MyProduct, and MyApplication. Otherwise, the virtual directory in the IIS view will be created as is and will point to the physical directory [IISROOTFOLDER]MyCompany\MyProduct\MyApplication.
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CChong
Level 11 Flexeran
Level 11 Flexeran

Thanks joshstechnij.
Maybe in a future release of Installshield, there could be a "Create folder" option in the right menu options as well as the "Create Virtual Directory" option.
You see, I dont want "MyCompany" and "MyProduct" to be virtual directories.
Anyway I can work with this workaround for now. Thanks.
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joshstechnij
Level 10 Flexeran
Level 10 Flexeran

Unfortunately, it does not appear that support for this can be provided. IIS requires (as far as we can tell) that each folder in a virtual directory path be an actual virtual directory. Attempting to enter something like MyCompany/MyProduct/MyApplication in the virtual directory wizard causes an error "There are invalid characters in the alias name" to appear (on IIS 5.1). IIS 7 does not allow for '/' characters to be typed into the alias field.

The underlying metadata maintained by IIS for describing virtual directories builds the virtual directory structures in a hierarchical manner. So without a virtual directory named MyCompany, MyProduct would have a parent of Default Web Site (the same then applies to MyApplication).
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CChong
Level 11 Flexeran
Level 11 Flexeran

joshstechnij wrote:
IIS requires (as far as we can tell) that each folder in a virtual directory path be an actual virtual directory. Attempting to enter something like MyCompany/MyProduct/MyApplication in the virtual directory wizard causes an error "There are invalid characters in the alias name" to appear (on IIS 5.1). IIS 7 does not allow for '/' characters to be typed into the alias field.
The underlying metadata maintained by IIS for describing virtual directories builds the virtual directory structures in a hierarchical manner. So without a virtual directory named MyCompany, MyProduct would have a parent of Default Web Site (the same then applies to MyApplication).


But we are updating our install from Wise to Installshield 2009, and for the Wise install we used Microsofts adsutil.vbs application to create the Virtual Directory. This allowed for ordinary folders in a Virtual directory path. So IIS is not the issue here. Maybe MSI is the issue? Or Installshield?
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HarryHaller
Level 3

joshstechnij wrote:
the virtual directory in the IIS view will be created as is and will point to the physical directory [IISROOTFOLDER]MyCompany\MyProduct\MyApplication.


I wish that was true.
The physical directory (local path setting) will actually be:
[IISROOTFOLDER]MyCompany\MyProduct\MyApplication\

So how do you set a local path without a backslash?
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Naveed
Level 6

I am facing similar problem.

The limitation is that Application Name (in IS2010) should be same as the name of folder of physical path.

e.g. "MyApplication" should be name of folder if name of application (VDir) is "MyApplication". If its not, InstallShield creates another additional vitual directory in target IIS?

Any solution?

Naveed
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