Web Deploy

Web Deploy is what Microsoft’s Web Matrix tool, as well as several other web publishing tools from Microsoft, use to publish sites. Web deploy not only publishes your files but also attempts to publish any IIS and database settings necessary for the application to work.

Requirements

Web Deploy is only available on Windows 2008 and above and IIS 7 or above. You can verify your server version by logging into the wcp control panel and choosing ‘Site Details’.

Create a Web Deploy Enabled User

Servers with Web Deploy enabled will have an additional option when adding/editing ftp users within the control panel. Under the ‘Advanced’ tab, the checkbox ‘IIS Management’ will be visible. Checking that option will enable the current FTP user to authenticate with the Web Deploy service.

Using Web Deploy with Web Matrix

In order to use Web Deploy, you must enable it for one of your FTP users. You will then use that FTP user’s credentials to authenticate when publishing with Web Deploy. You can do this by adding or editing an FTP user and checking the ‘IIS Management’ checkbox under the ‘Advanced’ tab.

When publishing with Web Matrix using Web Deploy, you should use the following settings:

  • Protocol: Web Deploy

  • Server: secure##.ezhostingserver.com

    (The above is available in the ‘Site Details’ section in the control panel.
    Simply remove the ‘http://domainname-com.’ part from the server name.)

  • User name: ** your FTP username **

  • Password: ** your FTP password **

  • Site name: domainname.com

    (Replace domainname.com with your actual domain - do not include the ‘www’ on the domain name.
    If you are publishing to a sub-folder, add the sub-folder name to the end of the ‘Site name’.
    Do not end with a trailing forward slash.)

  • Destination URL: http://www.domainname.com

    (This will be the URL of the location to which you are publishing. If your domain name is
    not pointing to the site yet, use the full pre-propagation URL listed in the ‘Site Details’
    section. If you are publishing to a sub-folder, add the sub-folder name to the end of the
    URL. Do not end the URL in a forward slash.)

After entering the details, press the ‘Validate Connection’ button to test the connection. If successful, you are ready to publish.