IIS on 64-bit Win 2k8 gives HTTP Error 503. The service is unavailable 1

[reporting]

I am getting an Error 503 when trying

http://localhost/

on the Default Web Site of a 64-bit Win 2K8 server. As the machine will be used to demo apps in various client environments, I set it up using dynamic IP.

I found a couple of web sites that were helpful (Troubleshoot IIS7 errors like a pro & Where did my IIS7 server go? Troubleshooting "server not found" errors)

I realized then that, if I pinged localhost, this was returned:

Reply from ::1: time<1ms

Pinging the IP Address is OK. So I obviously have a DNS issue...

I checked the hosts file and all is OK…

Pinging the machine name (Win-2K8-R2) returns:

Reply from fe80::a42d::9b82::8a87::35d9%11: time<1ms

Using Google, I saw that this problem is caused by an IPv6 issue. However, I was unable to find out how to fix it ... and I have no idea what to do!

Google helped me find the MS KBase article How to disable certain Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) components in Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. In the article, they mention several options:
[ul]
[li]Enable IPv6 [/li]
[li]Use IPv4 instead of IPv6 in prefix policies [/li]
[li]Disable native IPv6 interfaces[/li]
[li]Disable tunnel IPv6 interfaces[/li]
[li]Disable IPv6 except for loopback interface [/li]
[/ul]
I know the first one won't fix this ... but which of the others should I choose?

Thanks very much,

John

John Marrett
Crystal Reports Trainer & Consultant
Maximizer CRM Trainer & Consultant

http://www.e-reporting.ca

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

Windows Server 2008, by default, prefers IPv6 over IPv4. If you are not using IPv6 you may want to disable the protocol on the server. Below will provide you with the information to accomplish this task. It is advisable to use a static IP address to avoid any issues with contacting the server.

- IPv6 for Microsoft Windows: Frequently Asked Questions

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/cc987595.aspx

Q. How do I disable IPv6 in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008?

A. Unlike Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, IPv6 in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 cannot be uninstalled. However, you can disable IPv6 in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 by doing one of the following:



In the Network Connections folder, obtain properties on all of your connections and adapters and clear the check box next to the Internet Protocol version 6 (TCP/IPv6) component in the list under This connection uses the following items.

This method disables IPv6 on your LAN interfaces and connections, but does not disable IPv6 on tunnel interfaces or the IPv6 loopback interface.
Add the following registry value (DWORD type) set to 0xFFFFFFFF:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\DisabledComponents

This method disables IPv6 on all your LAN interfaces, connections, and tunnel interfaces but does not disable the IPv6 loopback interface. You must restart the computer for this registry value to take effect.


For additional information about the DisabledComponents registry value, see Configuring IPv6 with Windows Vista.

If you disable IPv6, you will not be able to use Windows Meeting Space or any application that relies on the Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking platform or the Teredo transition technology.

Joey
CCNA, MCSA 2003, MCP, A+, Network+, CWTS

 

[reporting]

Thanks Joey. After using the Registry mod you quoted and rebooting the machine, I was able to:
[ol]
[li]Use

http://MachineName

and get the IIS 7 Welcome screen[/li]
[li]Use

http://localhost

and get the IIS 7 Welcome screen[/li]
[li]Ping MachineName and get the IP address as the reply[/li]
[li]Ping localhost, which returned the usual 127.0.0.1 as the reply[/li]
[/ol]
As none of those worked properly before, this is excellent news ... and will allow me to complete the configuration of the machine!

As to your suggestion to use static IP, I uhnderstand that. However that means that I have to arrange an IP address in advance with the IS dept. As I usually deal with VP Sales and Sales Managers (I am a CRM consultant), static IP unnecessarily complicates everyone's life...

Thanks again,

John


John Marrett
Crystal Reports Trainer & Consultant
Maximizer CRM Trainer & Consultant

http://www.e-reporting.ca