Hello,

We are experiencing a problem with one of our IIS5 servers. This is one of the boxes we use to host low-volume sites - inexpensive plans that use little traffic.

The box currently hosts about 180 virtual sites. This box has the most sites on it of any of our web servers.

The problem is that we seem to be having issues adding more sites. Is there a limit to the number of sites IIS5 can host on one box? Its resources are not taxed in any way.

When I open the IIS management concole, all the sites display just fine. The trouble manifests when I try and add a new site. It goes through the wizzard just fine but finally hangs when I press the final "finish" button. An error eventually pops up saying it couldn't connect to the server. The IIS process seems to hang during this time, too. I eventually have to kill the IIS management conole task for things to return to normal.

To simply re-configure one of the existing sites is no problem.

Any ideas?

Thank you

We run win2k servers and as far as i am aware there are no limits on the number of sites u can run on a box although there are rumours that the more u add the clunkier it becomes.

We run the advanced server as its features and options are superior, however all our dedicated boxes only have a maximum of 30 sites on them.

Hope this helps

There really is no max number, only as much as your box can handle. Does your CPU spike when you do this, how about your memory?

We run the advanced server as its features and options are superiorThe only difference between server and advanced server is the loadbalancing/cluster service & they can handle a little more memory and processors, other than that they are the same exact thing. AS does not perform any better :)

or at the very least its high enough that you would not normally reach that limit on a normal box.

As for your IIS problem, looks like a corrupted Metabase.

Anyway, Have you rebooted the box and tried adding the site? Also, check your event log for errors ..

I was thinking it's a corrupted metabase. The box is actually a clustered 2k AS server. I don't want to let it roll into the other node (except for major failures) because it royally messes up the FrontPage extensions on many sites and they need to be re-applied.

We do have backups of each config after every update. So I guess in a worse case scenereo, I can always roll-back and then re-add those sites that were added since the backup...

but...if at all possible, I would love to just repair it. I have tried rebooting, looking in the event logs, etc. Nada.

Is there any utility to repair a metabase file?

Oh yeah...the CPU usage on the box is around 10-15% at any one time. Plenty of memory, etc. The box is not overlaoded in any way...especially since this cluster holds low-bandwidth sites only. Our larger accounts get either dedicated boxes or just a few on each box, depending on performance monitor levels.

When I try and add a new site, the performance monitor loses it's connection to the IIS process. I think the process hangs. When I kill the IIS Admin manager task, it seems to come back to life.

All ideas are much appreciated.

Thank you,

This is a follow-up for anyone who has or will have the same problem. I did get it resolved and didn't have to roll-back to a backup.

I re-installed IE6.0 on the box and then re-installed the IIS security roll-up (Jan 2002). It seemed to do the trick. Go figure.

Originally posted by BarrySDCA
I re-installed IE6.0 on the box and then re-installed the IIS security roll-up (Jan 2002).

Thanks Barry. I just think it's funny that IE has to be installed on a server box. Actually funny is not the right word , since I face these things every day when setting up SQL Server and IIS boxes. So typical Windows...

IIS 6 on a server??

:shutter:

Did you mean 5.1?

I said IE6, not IIS6.

I too was thinking IE6, but typed in IIS6.. sorry 'bout that..

Still, :shutter:

I like IE5.5 w/sp2 alot better.. I would recommend downgrading for better stability.

Laterz..

Actually, the server has been quiet stable since the change. (knock on some REALLY hard wood).

You know better than to tempt fate like that! :D ;)

laterz..