Microsoft KB Archive/838252

= How to configure Web publishing rules to host multiple Web sites with host headers in ISA Server =

Article ID: 838252

Article Last Modified on 12/5/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004 Standard Edition

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INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to add host headers to a Web site in Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). Additionally, this article describes how to configure Web publishing rules in Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration 2004 (ISA 2004) server to redirect HTTP requests from the Internet to a specific internal Web server by using the original host header.

You can use host header names with a single static IP address to host multiple sites. IIS uses the host name that is passed in the HTTP header to determine which site clients request.

Note You cannot use host headers when you are using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), because HTTP requests that use SSL are encrypted. Host headers are part of the encrypted request and cannot be interpreted or routed to the correct site.



Configuring host headers in IIS
You can use host header names to host multiple domain names from one IP address. To do this, follow these steps.

WARNING Do not use a host header name with the default Web site. This can cause irregular behavior with add-on packages for IIS.
 * 1) Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Services Manager.
 * 2) In the Internet Services Manager management console, expand the IIS Server that contains the Web site you want to modify, right-click the Web site that you want to modify, and then click Properties.
 * 3) In the   Properties box, click the Web Site tab.
 * 4) On the Web Site tab, select an IP address from the list in the IP Address field, and then set the TCP Port that you want to use. Typically, the TCP port that you want is port 80.
 * 5) Click Advanced, and in the Advanced Multiple Web Site Configuration properties dialog box, click Add.
 * 6) In the Advanced Web Site Identification dialog box, click an IP address in the list in the IP Address area, type a TCP port number in the TCP Port box (this is typically port 80), type a host name in the Host Header Name box, and then click OK.

Note If you want this site to respond to more than one host header name, use the Add button to add additional identities to the list. You can specify a different host header name for each identity, but make sure to use the same IP address and the same TCP port for each entry.
 * 1) Click OK in the open dialog boxes to apply the changes.
 * 2) Make sure that you register the host header name with the appropriate name-resolution system, such as DNS or WINS.
 * 3) After you register the host header name with the name-resolution system, test it in a Web browser by using the host header name to connect to the Web site.

Publish the Web server in ISA 2004 Server
 Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft ISA Server, and then click ISA Management. In the ISA 2004 management console, expand, where   is the name of your ISA 2004 server. Click Firewall Policy. In the right-pane of the ISA 2004 management console, click the Tasks tab, and then click Publish a Web Server under Firewall Policy Tasks. On the Welcome to the New Web Publishing Rule Wizard page, type a descriptive name in the Web publishing rule name box, and then click Next. On the Select Rule Action page, click the Allow option, and then click Next. On the Define Web site to Publish page, click Browse and then click the Web server that you want. Click to select the Send the original host header to the publishing server instead of the actual one (specified above) check box, and then click Next. On the Public Name Details page, click This domain name (type below): in the Accept request for list. In the public name, type the domain name for example,, where   is the host header name that you assigned to the Web site, and   is your domain name. Click Next.</li> On the Select Web Listener page, select a Web listener from the list that allows external networks access, and then click Next. If you have not already configured a Web listener, follow these steps: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> On the Select Web Listener page, click New.</li> On the Welcome to New Web Listener Wizard page, type a descriptive name in the Web listener name box, and then click Next.</li> On the IP Addresses page, click to select the External check box, and then click Next.</li> On the Port Specification page, accept the defaults, click Next, and then click Finish</li></ol> </li> On the Select Web listener name page, click Next.</li> On the User Sets page, select All Users, click Next, and then click Finish.</li> In the Firewall Policy pane of the ISA 2004 management console, click Apply to apply the changes.</li></ol>

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