You can configure the Internet services by using Internet Service Manager. The services also use several additional configuration parameters in the registry not configured by using Internet Service Manager. Parameters are either specific to a service or are global to IIS and all services.
Wherever possible, you should use Internet Service Manager to make changes to your Internet server settings. For a registry change to take effect, you must restart the service affected by the change. For global entries you must restart all services.
Before you modify the registry, it is strongly recommended that you read Part IV of the Windows NT Resource Guide (found in the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit). This part of the book describes in detail how to use and change parameters in the registry.
Caution Using the Registry Editor incorrectly can cause problems, including the failure of a Web site or FTP site. If you make mistakes, your Web site or FTP site's configuration could be damaged. You should edit registry entries only for settings that you cannot adjust in the user interface, and be very careful whenever you edit the registry directly.
Many registry keys that existed for previous versions of IIS have been migrated to a fast-access, hierarchical database called the metabase. The remaining registry keys are used to initiate Internet services and to enable backward compatibility with older versions of IIS. Any new information that you are writing should be written to the metabase. To find out more about the metabase, see Metabase.
Properties for the registry are presented in table format, with configuration information organized as follows:
| Identifier: Name (DWORD) that represents the registry property DataType: A DWORD that indicates the variable type of the data |
| Range: The scope of values that a property can have Default: The value that a property maintains without user modification |
| Description of the property and implications of modifying it. |