This guide covers installing the software on Windows Server 2003, using IIS 6.0. For directions for Windows XP, please see here, and for Vista see here.
NOTE: We recommend that you maintain 3 functional types of installs:
- Live Site (production server)- This is your public-facing live site.
- Staged Site (production server or local install)- This is a clone of your live site. Perform modifications and test them here to protect your live site from issues and down-time.
- Dev Site (production server or local install)- This is a completely stock out-of-the-box install where you can compare stock functionality and behavior with issues you get with your staged/live sites. This is also good for a quick resource of stock files as needed.
Pre-installation Procedures
The following 3 sections cover the installation of Microsoft software required for the ASPDNSF software to run. Note: Customers installing the software on shared hosting accounts can skip the directions in this section, as the hosting company will have done these steps for you.
Installing IIS
Windows Server 2003 may come with IIS 6.0 preinstalled, though it may be required to enable some features that are not turned on by default. To do so, follow these steps:
1 – First, go to Start → Control Panel, and open 'Add or Remove Programs'
2 – In the panel on the left, click the 'Add/Remove Windows Components' link.
3 – In the window that opens, check 'Application Server', and click 'Details':
4 – In the window that opens, check 'Internet Information Services (IIS)' and click 'Details':
5 – In the window that opens, click 'Internet Information Services Manager' and 'World Wide Web Service':
6 – Click “OK” at the bottom, and wait for installation to complete.
Installing .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Windows Server 2003 come pre-loaded with .NET version 2.0. Please install .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 as follows:
1 – Download the .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 install package from Microsoft here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/0/e/20e90413-712f-438c-988e-fdaa79a8ac3d/dotnetfx35.exe
2 – Save the dotnetfx35.exe file locally, then run it.
3 – Click Next and agree to the EULA, then click Finish once the install completes (this can take quite a while).
Installing Microsoft SQL 2005 Express and Server Mgmt Studio Express
See
this page for instructions on installing the database components.
File Setup
The first step in installing the ASPDNSF software is to get the files in place on your machine.
Note: This guide assumes the files are being installed in the default location for IIS, C:\inetpub\wwwroot\. If your server configuration requires a different location, substitute that path during the install process.
1 – Log in to http://www.aspdotnetstorefront.com/mylicenses.aspx and click the link to Download the software next to your license. Note: Your licenses page may vary slightly.
2 – The download file will be an executable file named something similar to aspdotnetstorefront_ml_csharp_7.1.0.0.exe. Once the download has completed, run the executable and click Next.
3 – Read the End User License Agreement, then click Yes to indicate acceptance.
4 – Browse to the desired install folder, then click Next.
5 – Wait for the files to extract.
6 – Review the readme information if desired, then click Next.
7 – Click Close to complete the file extraction.
8 – Navigate to the folder you extracted the files into, and open the Web folder. Note: You may not have all of the files/folders depicted here, depending on your license level.
9 – Right-click on the /images folder and click on Properties.
10 – Click the Edit button, then on the next window that opens click Add.
11 – Click Advanced.
12 – Click Find Now, then scroll down in the list of results and highlight the NETWORK SERVICE account, and click OK.
13 – Click OK again.
14 – Make sure that the NETWORK SERVICE account has Read, Write, and Modify access, then click OK.
15 – Click OK again to close the Web Properties window.
Database Setup
Next, you need to create the database that the software will store your data in.
Note: The screenshots in this section are of a standard MS SQL Server Mgmt Studio install with no extra security measures in place. Your screens may look slightly different depending on the setup and security policies your administrator/host use.
1 – Open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and log in with the credentials given to you by your system administrator or host.
2 – Right-click on Databases in the tree view and click New Database.
3 – Enter a name for the database and click OK.
4 – Highlight the new database in the list and press CTRL-O on the keyboard. Navigate to the /db folder where you just extracted the new storefront files, and highlight the database creation script file and click OK. The name of this script will vary according to the version of the software you are installing:
8.0.0.0 = aspdotnetstorefrontdb_mssql.sql
8.0.1.0+ = Create AspDotNetStorefront Database.sql
NOTE: For versions 8.0.1.0 and higher, the DB creation script does not create sample entity/product data in the new store. If this demo data is desired, after running the above script, you will also need to run "Install Demo Website Data.sql" against the DB the same way.
5 – Click the Execute button.
6 – Verify that the script ran with no errors.
7 – Now, you must modify the web.config file to connect to the database you just created. Navigate to the /web folder where you extracted the storefront files earlier and open up the file in notepad.
8 – Find the line pictured below, and change the ‘TBD’ to your own EncryptKey value. The value can be any combination of letters and numbers, and should be at least 10 characters long.
9 – Find the DBConn line pictured below, and change the following values:
NOTE: Your host or server admin must provide this information, AspDotNetStorefront cannot tell you what to use for these values.
• data source – This is the server/instance name where SQL is installed. If installing on a local server, this will often be simply ‘localhost’ or the machine name.
• initial catalog – This is the name of the database you just created.
• user id – the ID used to connect to the database
• password – the password used to connect to the database
10 – Save your changes in Notepad.
IIS Setup
The last step in the install is configuring IIS.
Note: Your server admin or host may have to provide additional steps for this portion of the install, depending on the server configuration. These steps cover a basic install.
1 – First, open IIS Manager and expand the tree to view the folders under 'Web Sites':
2 – Right-click on Default Web Site, and click 'New > Virtual Directory...':
3 – Enter a name for your site in the Alias field (generally the same as the folder name) and then click the 'Next >' button.
4 – Enter the full path to the \Web folder for your AspDotNetStorefront installation, and click 'Next >':
5 – Accept the default permissions shown here, and click 'Next >':
6 – Click 'Finish' to complete the Wizard:
7 - Right-click on 'Default Web Site > AspDotNetStorefront'. Your site should open in the browser pane – installation is complete!
For information on using the admin site and the default login credentials, see this page.