Metabase
Encyclopedia
Microsoft
's Internet Information Services
stores its information in an internal database called the MetaBase. The metabase is an inheritable, hierarchical database
that allows for configuration of HTTP/HTTPS
, FTP
, SMTP
, and NNTP
at the server, the site, or the folder or file level. Different versions of IIS use different formats; prior to IIS version 6 this was always a proprietary format, whereas with 6.0 and later the data is stored in XML
files. The metabase consists of two files, MetaBase.xml and MBSchema.xml, stored in the
When Internet Information Service starts, it reads the two metabase files to create an in-memory cache of the web server's configuration, which is referred to as the in-memory metabase. Changes to the IIS configuration via the IIS Manager or programmatic changes get written to the in-memory metabase, then are persisted to the on-disk MetaBase.xml file after a number of changes.
Internet Information Services' central metabase is eliminated in IIS version 7 in favor of a set of XML configuration files that are located centrally in the
-based administration console, is the primary means of modifying the Metabase. IIS also optionally provides a web-based administration console. The XML files are human-readable, and when the Allow direct metabase edits feature is turned on (not recommended by Microsoft) it can be viewed and edited with simple text editing software like Notepad.
The Metabase is also programmable through several APIs - Admin Base Objects (ABO), Active Directory Services Interface
(ADSI), Windows Management Instrumentation
(WMI), and the .NET Framework
's System.Directory Services.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Internet Information Services
Internet Information Services
Internet Information Services – formerly called Internet Information Server – is a web server application and set of feature extension modules created by Microsoft for use with Microsoft Windows. It is the most used web server after Apache HTTP Server. IIS 7.5 supports HTTP, HTTPS,...
stores its information in an internal database called the MetaBase. The metabase is an inheritable, hierarchical database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
that allows for configuration of HTTP/HTTPS
Https
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is a combination of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol with SSL/TLS protocol to provide encrypted communication and secure identification of a network web server...
, FTP
File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server...
, SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is an Internet standard for electronic mail transmission across Internet Protocol networks. SMTP was first defined by RFC 821 , and last updated by RFC 5321 which includes the extended SMTP additions, and is the protocol in widespread use today...
, and NNTP
Network News Transfer Protocol
The Network News Transfer Protocol is an Internet application protocol used for transporting Usenet news articles between news servers and for reading and posting articles by end user client applications...
at the server, the site, or the folder or file level. Different versions of IIS use different formats; prior to IIS version 6 this was always a proprietary format, whereas with 6.0 and later the data is stored in XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
files. The metabase consists of two files, MetaBase.xml and MBSchema.xml, stored in the
%SystemRoot%\system32\inetsrv\ directory. The metabase periodically gets backed up to the MetaBack subdirectory.When Internet Information Service starts, it reads the two metabase files to create an in-memory cache of the web server's configuration, which is referred to as the in-memory metabase. Changes to the IIS configuration via the IIS Manager or programmatic changes get written to the in-memory metabase, then are persisted to the on-disk MetaBase.xml file after a number of changes.
Internet Information Services' central metabase is eliminated in IIS version 7 in favor of a set of XML configuration files that are located centrally in the
Machine.config and ApplicationHost.config files and within the web site's infrastructure using web.configWeb.configWeb.config is the main settings and configuration file for an ASP.NET web application. The file is an XML document that defines configuration information regarding the web application....
files. This allows for easy synchronization of web sites across servers by including all configuration information within the web site's root directory.Metabase administration
The IIS Manager interface, an MMCMicrosoft Management Console
Microsoft Management Console is a component of Windows 2000 and its successors that provides system administrators and advanced users an interface for configuring and monitoring the system.- Snap-ins and consoles :...
-based administration console, is the primary means of modifying the Metabase. IIS also optionally provides a web-based administration console. The XML files are human-readable, and when the Allow direct metabase edits feature is turned on (not recommended by Microsoft) it can be viewed and edited with simple text editing software like Notepad.
The Metabase is also programmable through several APIs - Admin Base Objects (ABO), Active Directory Services Interface
Active Directory
Active Directory is a directory service created by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems. Server computers on which Active Directory is running are called domain controllers....
(ADSI), Windows Management Instrumentation
Windows Management Instrumentation
Windows Management Instrumentation is a set of extensions to the Windows Driver Model that provides an operating system interface through which instrumented components provide information and notification...
(WMI), and the .NET Framework
.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
's System.Directory Services.