Why IIS Admin needs restart after certain changes to web.config

[divinyl]

Hi there...i don't know if this is more an IIS thing or a .net thing, but i'm trying to figure out why it is sometimes required for the IISAdmin service to be restarted in order for changes to the web.config file to be picked up? For example, changes to database connection strings...At first i thought this has something to do with the way the application is developed - perhaps certain applications cache this information rather then reading from the web.config file on each access....but then i noticed that the same application installed on different servers behaved differently. On one server the db connection change was automatic & did not require any restart of services. On another server - it did require a restart. And i don't think its a case of just giving IIS 'enough time' to pick up the changes, because i gave it a whole 24 hours and the app was still pointing to the old database.

I would appreciate any insight into this - as well as any pointers to some MS documentation that explains how this all works...obviously it is not desireable to have to restart the service on our production web servers just to change a db connection in one of the applications!

Thanks
NB

 

[ca8msm]

I think what you are referring to is know as AppDomain recycling. Basically, a change to the file structure will cause this recycle, although I haven't seen it affect the IIS service to the extent that it needs to be restarted.


____________________________________________________________
Mark,
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[markknowsley]

In my experience connection strings do not require an iis reset to be recognised; some work I did this morning required me to point a web app away from localhost to a 2005 server and as soon as I saved the change to web.config and refreshed the web browser the change was picked up.

 

[divinyl]

Thanks for the response.

Unfortunately in my experience there have been times when it was necessary to restart the IISAdmin service - i've spoken to others who have had the same experience. Just as i explained in my orginial post - i specifically had to do this to get my application to point to the new database - the web site was still showing the old data.

Anyone else know why this might happen?

Thanks..

 

[ca8msm]

It must be a problem with your server then as this problem isn't reproducible.


____________________________________________________________
Mark,
[URL unfurl="true"]http://aspnetlibrary.com[/url]

Need help finding an answer? Try the Search Facility or read FAQ222-2244.

 

[SiriusBlackOp]

Have you checked the IIS settings like Application Protection... I could maybe see this happening if that setting was set to Low(IIS Process).

Open IIS MMC, expand to your web application, get the properties of your web application, look at the directory tab. If application protection is not set to Medium(Pooled) then change it so that it is and retest for the behavior.

If it's not that... well... It must be a setting somewhere that is causing that behavior. It should only have to recompile the application on a change to the web.config file.


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