Hosting node.js applications in IIS on Windows

Branches

• master: stable version.
• iisnode-dev: development branch.

Why would I want to do it?

Benefits

Who uses iisnode?

• Microsoft azure - benefits
• Microsoft azure - get started with node.js
• appharbor.com
• discountasp.net
• arvixe.com
• smarterasp.net
• gearhost.com
• webecs.com

Prerequisites for using

• Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2012
• IIS 7.x with IIS Management Tools and ASP.NET
• WebSocket functionality requires IIS 8.x on Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012
• URL rewrite module for IIS
• Latest node.js build for Windows

Installing for IIS 7.x/8.x

• Install iisnode for IIS 7.x/8.x: x86 or x64 - choose bitness matching your system
• To set up samples, from the administrative command prompt call %programfiles%\iisnode\setupsamples.bat
• Go to http://localhost/node

Installing for IIS Express/WebMatrix

• Install WebMatrix using the Web Platform Installer
• Open WebMatrix, choose “Site from folder”, enter %localappdata%\iisnode\www, start the site, and play with the iisnode samples, or
• Use node.js templates to get started quickly with an Express application or a skeleton Hello World

Installing for IIS Express 8 on Windows x64 This can be a head-scratcher since IIS Express 8 gives you both 32-bit and 64-bit versions (http://www.iis.net/learn/extensions/introduction-to-iis-express/iis-80-express-readme). You can either:

• Install the full x64 version, then in Visual Studio go to Tools > Options > Projects and Solutions > Web Projects > Use the 64 bit version of IIS Express. This way you have a single install for both IIS and IIS Express.
• Separately install iisnode express version (https://github.com/azure/iisnode/wiki/iisnode-releases).

Howtos

• the basics
• [NEW: websockets] (http://tomasz.janczuk.org/2012/11/how-to-use-websockets-with-nodejs-apps.html)
• using with express framework
• using with URL rewrite module
• using with WebMatrix and IIS Express
• site templates for WebMatrix
• using with mongodb
• diagnosing problems with ETW traces
• using with MVC
• portuguese: node.js no windows: instalando o iisnode
• integrated debugging
• Debugging via VSCode
• pub/sub server using faye
• appharbor uses iisnode

Prerequisites for building

• All prerequisities for using
• Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop
• WIX Toolset v3.6
• Windows SDK for Windows 8

Building

Build commands should be issued from the build environment set up with "%programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat", assuming default installation location of Visual Studio 2012 on x64 platform.

For x86 build:

msbuild /p:Platform=Win32 src\iisnode\iisnode.sln

For x64 build:

msbuild /p:Platform=x64 src\iisnode\iisnode.sln

Installing after build

• For IIS 7.x/8.0: build\debug\{x64|x86}\iisnode-full.msi
• For IIS Express 7.x: build\debug\x86\iisnode-express.msi

Running tests

• Install for IIS 7.x/8.x (see previous sections)
• test\functional\test.bat
• note that for the WebSocket tests to pass you must be running in IIS 8.x on Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012

Resources & documentation

• Releases
• Wiki
• Blog