IIS 7 Command Line Tool
=======================

`AppCmd.exe` IIS 7 command-line tool used to perform common IIS administrative tasks such as creating new sites, stopping/starting services, and viewing status of the site.


## Usage

    appcmd (command) (object-type) <identifier> </parameter1:value1 ...>

In order to run `AppCmd.exe`, you will either need to change directory into `%windir%\system32\inetsrv\` or add it to your `PATH` variable. On a *Windows 2008* server with a default installation, `AppCmd.exe` is located in `C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv`.

**Supported object types**:

- `SITE` Administration of virtual sites
- `APP` Administration of applications
- `VDIR` Administration of virtual directories
- `APPPOOL` Administration of application pools
- `CONFIG` Administration of general configuration sections
- `WP` Administration of worker processes
- `REQUEST` Administration of HTTP requests
- `MODULE` Administration of server modules
- `BACKUP` Administration of server configuration backups
- `TRACE` Working with failed request trace logs

**General parameters**:

    /?               Display context-sensitive help message.

    /text<:value>    Generate output in text format (default).
                     /text:* shows all object properties in detail view.
                     /text:<attribute> shows the value of the specified
                     attribute for each object.

    /xml             Generate output in XML format.
                     Use this to produce output that can be sent to another
                     command running in /in mode.

    /in or -         Read and operate on XML input from standard input.
                     Use this to operate on input produced by another
                     command running in /xml mode.

    /config<:*>      Show configuration for displayed objects.
                     /config:* also includes inherited configuration.

    /metadata        Show configuration metadata when displaying configuration.

    /commit          Set config path where configuration changes are saved.
                     Can specify either a specific configuration path, "site",
                     "app", "parent", or "url" to save to the appropriate portion
                     of the path being edited by the command, "apphost", "webroot",
                     or "machine" for the corresponding configuration level.

    /debug           Show debugging information for command execution.

> Use `!` to escape parameters that have same names as the general parameters, like `/!debug:value` to set a config property named `debug`.

## Prerequisites (as per Windows 2012 Core)

Install IIS (powershell):
    
    install-windowsfeature web-server

Install IIS remote management (this renders the rest quite moot):

    Install-WindowsFeature Web-Mgmt-Service
    Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WebManagement\Server -Name EnableRemoteManagement -Value 1
    Net Stop WMSVC
    Net Start WMSVC
    netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Allow Web Management" dir=in action=allow service="WMSVC"

Register ASP.NET features for WCF if needed:

    dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:IIS-ASPNET45 /all

Register ASP.NET features for WCF if needed:

    dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WAS-WindowsActivationService /all
    dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WAS-ProcessModel /all
    dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WAS-NetFxEnvironment /all
    dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WAS-ConfigurationAPI /all
    dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WCF-HTTP-Activation /all
    dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:WCF-HTTP-Activation45 /all

Install telnet client (always handy for debug):

    dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:TelnetClient

Open firewall ports (use when needed):

    netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="WebPort" dir=in protocol=TCP localport=8080 action=allow


## Examples

### List

List all sites:

    appcmd list sites

List started sites:

    appcmd list sites /state:started

List stopped sites:

    appcmd list sites /state:stopped

List unknown sites:

    appcmd list sites /state:stopped

### Start and Stop

Start a site:

    appcmd start sites "Default Web Site"
    
Stop a site:

    appcmd stop sites "Default Web Site"

### Add

    appcmd add site /name:mywebsite /id:99 /bindings:http/*:81 /physicalPath:C:\mywebsite

### Configuration

List all backup configurations:

    appcmd list backup

Show site configuration:

    appcmd list site "Default Web Site" /config
    
List site properties to set:

    appcmd set site "Default Web Site" -?
    
Set a property:

    appcmd set site "Default Web Site" -propertyName:"Some Value"

E.g. change binding:

    appcmd set site "Default Web Site" -bindings:"http://*:8888"

### Application Pools:

Add: 

    appcmd add apppool /name:"My App Pool" /managedRuntimeVersion:v4.0 /managedPipelineMode:Classic
    appcmd add apppool /name:"My App Pool" /managedRuntimeVersion:v2.0 /managedPipelineMode:Classic
    appcmd add apppool /name:"My App Pool" /managedRuntimeVersion:v4.0 /managedPipelineMode:Integrated
    
List:
    
    appcmd list apppool
    
List apps and their app pools:

    appcmd list app
    
Assign app pool to an app:

    appcmd set app "APPNAME/" -applicationPool:"My App Pool"
    
### Installing a certificate

You need the pfx file.

    certutil -p <password> -importPFX C:\Certificates\MyCertificate.pfx
    netsh http add sslcert ipport=0.0.0.0:443 certhash=<hash-of-certificate> appid={<app-guid-use-arbitrary-guid-if-needed>}


---

**Author**

- Jon LaBelle, <contact@jonlabelle.com> - original version
- Marco Mastropaolo <marco@mastropaolo.com> - added app pools management


**Resources**

- [Appcmd.exe (IIS 7)](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772200.aspx)
- [Getting Started with AppCmd.exe](http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/114/getting-started-with-appcmdexe/)
- [Configuring IIS 7 from the command line using Appcmd.exe (Part 1)](http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles-tutorials/windows-server-2008/Configuring-IIS-7-command-line-Appcmdexe-Part1.html)
- [How to use the Appcmd.exe command-line tool](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930909)