PowerShell Module WebAdministration Uses .NET 2.0

Question

User-1105639637 posted

When using the PowerShell IIS module "WebAdministration" with IIS 7.5 to configure Authentication and the website or application's web.config file contains a section(element) that is specific to .NET 4.0, an error is encountered.

Here is the command to reproduce:

Import-Module -Name WebAdministration
Get-WebConfigurationProperty -Filter '/system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication' -Name 'enabled' -Location 'MyWebSite' 

Here is the error encountered:

Filename: \\?\C:\MyApplication\web.config
Line number: 87
Error: The configuration section 'routing' cannot be read because it is missing a section declaration
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-WebConfigurationProperty], COMException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException,Microsoft.IIs.PowerShell.Provider.GetConfigu
   rationPropertyCommand

The application's abbreviated web.config XML structure which contains the .NET 4.0 element "routing". NOTE: There is no issue with the IIS application using the .NET 4.0 section "routing" successfully:

<configuration>
  <system.serviceModel>
    <routing>
    </routing>
  </system.serviceModel>
</configuration>

The .NET 2.0 machine.config contents. Observe there is no "routing" section declared (C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\machine.config)

<configuration>
  <system.serviceModel>

  </system.serviceModel>
</configuration>

The .NET 4.0 machine.config contents. Observe the "routing" section is declared (C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Config\machine.config)

<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <sectionGroup name="system.serviceModel" type="System.ServiceModel.Configuration.ServiceModelSectionGroup, System.ServiceModel, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
      <section name="routing" type="System.ServiceModel.Routing.Configuration.RoutingSection, System.ServiceModel.Routing, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" />
    </sectionGroup>
  </configSections>
  <system.serviceModel>
    <extensions>
      <behaviorExtensions>
        <add name="routing" type="System.ServiceModel.Routing.Configuration.RoutingExtensionElement, System.ServiceModel.Routing, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" />
      </behaviorExtensions>
    </extensions>
  </system.serviceModel>
</configuration>

I also observed that there was a seperate downloadable installer for the WebAdministration module available for IIS 7, but not one for IIS 7.5 (http://www.iis.net/downloads/microsoft/powershell)

This related blog  post has a similar issue (http://forums.iis.net/t/1176074.aspx). I concur with the original poster "I think the issue is the WebAdministration module loaded machine.config of CLR 2.0", and I do not believe its resolution is accurate. I tried to re-post to this thread but it was locked.

I assert that the PowerShell IIS 7 module "WebAdministration" loads using the .NET 2.0 machine.config (C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\machine.config).
Does anyone know if this is the issue?
Is there a workaround or is this a bug?

Windows 2008 R2 SP1
IIS 7.5