Big Picture If no IIS for .NET Core ?

Question

User518677258 posted

I am familiar with setting up IIS and adding a web application to the site on a corporate intranet. In IIS  From my VM The website typically looks like   machine.web.corporate.com/MyApplcation

But If I don't install or use IIS then what ? What maps the Application name to the physical location of the Web Application ?   I get  the local host stuff but this is for others 

Thanks - must be obvious but I just don't see how to do this without IIS  on WIN Server

Thanks !!!!

Answer 1

User475983607 posted

I am familiar with setting up IIS and adding a web application to the site on a corporate intranet. In IIS  From my VM The website typically looks like   machine.web.corporate.com/MyApplcation

This is actually an uncommon configuration as you have one main application and several sub applications or virtual directories.  Usually, each web application is configured as a separate IIS application.  Either each app will have a unique IP or a unique host header that points to the application by unique domain name.  DNS is used to translate the domain name to an IP.

But If I don't install or use IIS then what ?

IIS is a service exposes a web application through by listening on an IP and PORT.  If you do not install IIS then you still need an application listening for communication on an IP and PORT.  ASP.NET Core uses Kestrel where IIS is a reverse proxy but you could also craft a self-hosting application.

What maps the Application name to the physical location of the Web Application ?   I get  the local host stuff but this is for others 

As stated above DNS is responsible for translating an domain to an IP. This can be done through your hosting service or your local DNS server.

must be obvious but I just don't see how to do this without IIS  on WIN Server

The ASP Core hosting docs cover this topic.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/host/?view=aspnetcore-2.1

Answer 2

User518677258 posted

I  may not have been clear the applications are distinctly created in IIS-  but the base URL  website looks like this 

http    MyGroup.Company.com/Application_1    .......  MyGroup.Company.com/Application_n

or for the VM

http   machineName.Company.com/Application_1    .......  machineName.Company.com/Application_n

where machineName.Company.com is the web URL

So without IIS does Kestrel internally & transparently map my application physical address to the URL ?? 

Answer 3

User475983607 posted

I  may not have been clear the applications are distinctly created in IIS-  but the base URL  website looks like this 

http    MyGroup.Company.com/Application_1    .......  MyGroup.Company.com/Application_n

or for the VM

http   machineName.Company.com/Application_1    .......  machineName.Company.com/Application_n

where machineName.Company.com is the web URL

I understand and this is an uncommon configuration in my experience.  Usually, each application has a unique domain or sub domain.

So without IIS does Kestrel internally & transparently map my application physical address to the URL ?? 

No, that's the job of DNS as explained above.