Essential IIS Services and Processes

Windows services and processes are other areas where Windows and IIS are tightly integrated. Table 3-3 provides a summary of key services that IIS uses or depends on. Note that the services available on a particular IIS server depend on its configuration. Still, this is the core set of services that you'll find on most IIS servers.

Table 3-3. Essential IIS Services
Display Name	Service Name	Description	Default Startup Type	Log On As	Default Recovery	Dependencies
Application Host Helper Service	Apphostsvc	Provides configuration history services and app pool account mapping for file and directory access locking.	Automatic	Local System	Restart the service	None
ASP.NET State Service	aspnet_state	Provides support for out-of-process session state management for ASP.NET. Out-of-process state management ensures that the session state is preserved when an application's worker process is recycled. IIS uses this service only when you set the Session State mode to State Server or SQL Server. Otherwise, IIS does not use this service.	Manual	Network Service	Restart the service	None
FTP Publishing Service	MSFTP-SVC	Provides services for transferring files by using FTP. If the server isn't configured as an FTP server, the server doesn't need to run this service. In a standard installation of IIS 7.0, when you install FTP, this service is, by default, configured for manual startup only.	Manual	Local System	Take no action	IIS Admin Service
IIS Admin Service	IISAD-MIN	Allows administration of IIS 6.0–related features, including the metabase. If the server doesn't need backward compatibility, the server doesn't need to run this service.	Automatic	Local System	Run iisreset.exe	HTTP, RPC, Security Accounts Manager
Web Management Service	WMSVC	Enables remote and delegated management of IIS using IIS Manager. If a server is locked down so it can be accessed locally only, the server doesn't need to run this service.	Automatic	Local Service	Restart the service	HTTP
Windows Process Activation Service	WAS	Provides essential features for messaging applications and the Microsoft .NET Framework, including process activation, resource management, and health management. This service is essential for IIS.	Automatic	Local System	Run iisreset.exe	RPC
World Wide Web Publishing Service	W3SVC	Provides essential services for transferring files by using HTTP and administration through the IIS Manager. This service is essential for IIS.	Automatic	Local System	Take no action	HTTP, Windows Process Activation Service

As the table shows, the World Wide Web Publishing Service and Windows Process Activation Service provide the essential services for IIS 7.0. Management of the Web service and Web applications is internalized. The Web Administration Service component of the Web Service Host is used to manage the service itself. Worker processes are used to control applications, and no Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) applications run within the IIS process context.

*.* Source of Information : Microsoft Press Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 Administrator's Pocket Consultant