HOWTO: Deploy Visual Basic IIS Applications with PDW

• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, version 6.0

SUMMARY

Internet Information Server (IIS) applications can be packaged and deployed with the Visual Basic Package and Deployment Wizard (PDW). The PDW will package your .dll file and its dependencies into a cabinet (.cab) file. The .cab file can then be deployed to a Web server where the files can be unpacked, installed, and registered. Note that HTML and Active Server Pages (ASP) pages are not packaged in the .cab file, but they are copied to the appropriate location when the application is deployed.

MORE INFORMATION

To create a package for an IIS application, load the application project file into Visual Basic and launch the PDW from the Add-Ins menu. If the PDW is not on the Add-Ins menu, add it from the Add-In Manager, which can be found on the Add-Ins menu. Once the PDW is running, follow these steps to complete creating the package:

1. Select the Package option from the main PDW screen. You may see a message that says "In order to proceed, the wizard requires the executable file '[project name].dll' for this project. Click browse to find the file or Compile to compile the project." If the application has been recently compiled, select Browse to find the compiled .dll. Otherwise, select Compile.



2. Package Type: For IIS Applications, the Internet Package option should be selected. Select Internet Package in the list box, then click Next.



3. Package Folder: By default, the package will be assembled in a subdirectory under the project directory called Package. If you would like the package to be placed into an alternate directory, type it into the Package Folder text field and click Next. Otherwise, just click Next.



4. Included Files: This screen lists all of the files that will be placed in the .cab file. The default listed items will be Mswcrun.dll (WebClass runtime), Visual Basic 6 Runtime and OLE Automation, and your IIS application .dll. If you would like any additional files added to the .cab, click Add, then browse to the file to add. When done, click Next to continue.
   
   Note that you may run into problems when deploying your package if you choose to include the WebClass Runtime, Visual Basic Runtime or the OLE Automation files.



5. Click Finish and the PDW will complete the packaging of the IIS application. All selected settings will be stored into a script. If the package needs to be re-created in the future, this script can be selected to automate the packaging process.

Q192116 HOWTO: Configure Posting Acceptor To Work With the PDW

Q172138 How to Create a Virtual Directory

1. Select the Deploy option from the main PDW screen.



2. Package to Deploy: The package is referred to in the list box by the script name that was selected in the last screen of the packaging steps. Select the package you want to deploy and click Next.



3. Deployment Method: Packages can be published to a Web server or to local or network folder. Select Web Publishing and click Next.



4. Items to Deploy: This screen prompts you for items to deploy to the Web server. By default, this will include the cabinet package and any ASP, HTML, or other files that are in the application project. Clear any files that should not go to the server; otherwise, click Next.



5. Additional Items to Deploy: Any additional files to be deployed that were not part of the project can be selected here. Note that these additional files must either be in the project directory or in one of the subdirectories of the project directory. If any additional files need to be deployed, select them and then click Next. Otherwise, click Next.



6. Web Publishing Site: Enter the URL to where the package is to be deployed. The package can be deployed by either HTTP Post or FTP. For more information on deploying Visual Basic Internet applications via FTP, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   

   Q192639 HOWTO: Use PDW to Deploy Using the FTP Web Publishing Method

   Remember that in order for a package to be deployed by HTTP Post, the Web server must be configured with the Posting Acceptor 2.0. There is also an option here for unpacking and installing the server-side .cab file. This option can only be used with HTTP Post. Click Next to continue. You may see a message that says "The specified URL and publishing protocol can be saved in the registry as a Web publishing site. This will verify that the URL and publishing protocol are valid and will save time for future deployments to this site. Do you want to store this information as a Web publishing site?" Click Yes if you would like to save this information in the registry. Otherwise, click No to continue.



7. Click Finish and the PDW will finish the deployment of your application. Similar to when packaging applications, the selected settings will be stored in a script so that any future deployments for the current application can be automated.

1. Select the Deploy option from the main PDW screen.



2. Package to Deploy: The package is referred to in the list box by the script name that was selected in the last screen of the packaging steps. Select the package you want to deploy and click Next.



3. Deployment Method: Packages can be published to a Web server or to a local or network folder. Select Folder and click Next.



4. Folder: Browse to the local or network folder in which to deploy the application. When finished, click Next.



5. Click Finish and the PDW will finish deploying the application to the selected folder. Selected settings will be stored in a script so that future deployments for the current application can be automated. Note that when deploying to a local or network folder, the package is not unpacked or installed -- the Package files are just copied to the selected location.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q194296 HOWTO: Debug PDW Internet Deployment Issues

Q191039 HOWTO: Build an IIS Application and References

Q190166 PRB: PDW Does Not Include .ASP and .HTM Files for Standard Setup

© Microsoft Corporation 1999, All Rights Reserved.
Contributions by Elton Wells, Microsoft Corporation

Additional query words: kbDSupport

Keywords          : kbDeployment kbVBp600 kbWebClasses kbGrpASP 
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: August 5, 1999