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IIS, Web Server, Web Garden, Application Pool, Worker Process
1. IIS (Internet Information Services):
IIS is a web server created by Microsoft to serve web content, including websites, web applications, and APIs. It is a platform that supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, and other protocols.
2. Web Server:
A web server is a system responsible for handling incoming web requests (HTTP/HTTPS) from clients (browsers) and responding with the appropriate content.
3. Web Garden:
A Web Garden is a configuration in IIS where multiple worker processes are assigned to a single application pool. This increases scalability and reliability within the same server.
4. Application Pool:
An Application Pool is a logical container in IIS that isolates one or more web applications. Each application pool runs independently and provides better resource management.
5. Worker Process (w3wp.exe):
The worker process (w3wp.exe) handles the incoming web requests, executes the required server-side code, and sends the response back to the client. It is the core component that processes web requests in IIS.
Summary Table of Key Differences
| Aspect | IIS | Web Server | Web Garden | Application Pool | Worker Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | Web hosting platform by Microsoft | Serves web content over HTTP/HTTPS | Multiple worker processes within a pool | Isolates web applications for better resource management | Processes incoming web requests |
| Purpose | Hosts and manages web applications | Processes client requests (HTTP) | Improves concurrency within a server | Ensures application isolation and security | Executes application code and logic |
| Isolation | Manages websites and applications | No isolation between applications | No isolation between worker processes | Isolates applications in separate pools | Process-level isolation |
| Concurrency | Can handle multiple websites | Handles one or more websites | Multiple processes handle requests within a single server | Each pool has one or more worker processes | Handles web requests per process |
| Use Case | Windows-based web hosting | General-purpose web hosting | Handles high traffic within a single server | Application isolation for reliability and security | Processes incoming web requests and server-side code |
Tricky Interview Questions
1. What is the difference between a Web Garden and a Web Farm?
A Web Garden allows multiple worker processes within a single server, while a Web Farm distributes the workload across multiple servers for load balancing and redundancy.
2. How does IIS handle multiple web applications running under the same server?
IIS uses Application Pools to isolate different web applications, providing each with its own worker process.
3. Why would you use a Web Garden instead of a Web Farm?
A Web Garden is used to increase concurrency within a single server by running multiple worker processes, while a Web Farm is used for horizontal scaling by distributing the load across multiple servers.
4. Can an Application Pool have more than one Worker Process?
Yes, an Application Pool can have multiple worker processes when configured as a Web Garden.