I want wildcard subdomains, which is not currently possible. I have heard all kind of arguments, all terrible.
-The HTTP 1.0 or 1.1 specfication wont don’t allow wildcard host headers
FACT IS: This is a configuration setting related to IIS and how to resolve a given hostname to a website. This has nothing to do with HTTP specification, but is strictly an internal matter on how the web server handle requests.
-This is a DNS issue
FACT IS: Mapping a wildcard record to a single IP is a DNS issue, but mapping multiple hosts to one website is a web server issue and has nothing to do with the DNS configuration, even though it requires proper DNS configuration.
Why would IIS not even yet support wildcard host headers? With current IPv4 limitations it is not possible to have one IP address for each website. It is a must, that the webserver are able to handle these matters.
There is no good argument not to integrate proper wildcard support in IIS. It is only a question of lazyness and restrictions, which aren’t necessary for any reason.
Why would IIS not even yet support wildcard host headers? With current IPv4 limitations it is not possible to have one IP address for each website. It is a must, that the webserver are able to handle these matters.
There is no good argument not to integrate proper wildcard support in IIS. It is only a question of lazyness and restrictions, which aren’t necessary for any reason.
Please let the webserver support this.
IIS does support multiple host headers. it is possible to host multiple websites(all pointing to same IP Address) in IIS.
I repeat "wildcard host headers". This means all *.example.com maps to a single website where *.example.org could map to a different website, even though both DNS records resolves to the same IP.
There are many different reasons for using a heavy load of subdomains and none, and it all requires, that you don't have to add all these manually (or by scripting).
That is correct. With IIS6, using something like ISAPI-Rewrite or your own custom redirect logic made using a wildcard DNS entry a dream. If you have a shared account someplace (which provides a static IP) and pointing a wildcard to your ip. You could
have as many sub-domains without making any DNS updates. We use this at ORCS Web, and it makes things a lot easier.
IIS7 should work pretty much the same way, however you can do a lot more magic without all the work. The integrated pipeline makes this dropdead simple from a dev perspective. You can munge URL's all you want.
This issue isn't posted to get temporary and bad fixes. It is raised to give attention to an ongoing problem with the both old IIS versions as well as the newest 7.0. It is brought up in hope for a extension to future versions allowing wildcard hostname as
all other webservers.
As of this writing, the amount of registered .com-domains equals nearly 65 million. If we substract broadcast addresses and other network necessities and includes reserved networks, the .com-domains alone would require min. 2-3 % of all IPv4 ranges. This emphasize
that it is not and will never be an sollution to have one IP address per website. Not all websites need this feature, but it is waste of IP adresses to just apply them, where better solutions are possible. In addition hereto, the amount of domains in total
would easily triple the amount of .com-domains if not more.
My prayer is: The Microsoft IIS development team, please implement proper support for wildcard host headers. It isn't forbidden in any way and it is possible to do while still remaining strict HTTP conformance.
Also i repeat, that this is not a DNS issue. Wildcard host headers also requires the same wilcard A record as the current "solution" does. Therefore this is completely irrelevant for the discussion as well as the solution.
ISAPI-Rewrite offers redirects, but this is not the same as true support. There is a remarkably difference in the advantages gained from pseudo redirect and proper access to correct HTTP_HOST name values and so on. If you call this a solution, a solution could
also be to use a different webserver. These are not solutions and does not deal with the reason for IIS not to support something, which is widely used.
But this has nothing to do with specification. It is usability, administration and convenience. The specification includes nothing about multiple host headers (which is possible) or many other of the features supported (scripting, virtual directories and
so on).
The HTTP specification describes the rules of the web server to communicate with clients - not how the web server should be made or act internally.
Well, that is the beauty of a specification. There are no other perspectives than the specification, and it is not part of the specification how the server internally maps a request to a specific website. Remember; if I enter the address http://blabla.example.com/
the headers sent to IIS would be exactly the same even if the server supports wildcard host headers. There will be no difference whatsoever in the action. If I manually has added blabla.example.com to the website or if IIS support *.example.com has no matter
for both the user and the specification. It is strictly an internally decision.
If you really believes, that it is part of the specification (where as I would point your attention to the RFC 2616, so you could read for yourself), why would you allow IIS to support multiple host headers? This is not a part of the specification. Having
more than one website pr. server isn't either. These are features of the server, which not breaks specification compliance but more the software more attractive. As I said, virtual directories, server includes aren't part of specification either, but they
are for sure nice to have - like ASP.NET, which has nothing to do with core HTTP either.
As far as I know, the Apache team is very strict when it come to protocol compliance, and they support it. Unfortunately, Apache is not an option - if it were, I would have made the change long ago. IIS need to support common used features. To emphasize
this argument, I know several hosting centers who choose Apache over IIS - not because of cost, they still use Windows - as many of their clients have need for wildcard host headers.
Also note, that you wont have to use this, if IIS implements it.
Net_Srak
5 Posts
Wildcard host header support
Apr 05, 2007 05:24 PM|LINK
I want wildcard subdomains, which is not currently possible. I have heard all kind of arguments, all terrible.
- The HTTP 1.0 or 1.1 specfication wont don’t allow wildcard host headers
FACT IS: This is a configuration setting related to IIS and how to resolve a given hostname to a website. This has nothing to do with HTTP specification, but is strictly an internal matter on how the web server handle requests.
- This is a DNS issue
FACT IS: Mapping a wildcard record to a single IP is a DNS issue, but mapping multiple hosts to one website is a web server issue and has nothing to do with the DNS configuration, even though it requires proper DNS configuration.
Why would IIS not even yet support wildcard host headers? With current IPv4 limitations it is not possible to have one IP address for each website. It is a must, that the webserver are able to handle these matters.
There is no good argument not to integrate proper wildcard support in IIS. It is only a question of lazyness and restrictions, which aren’t necessary for any reason.
Please let the webserver support this.
sethi2000
5 Posts
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 05, 2007 06:07 PM|LINK
IIS does support multiple host headers. it is possible to host multiple websites(all pointing to same IP Address) in IIS.
Check this url to understand "How to user Host Header Names to Configure Multiple Web Sites in Internet Information Services"
Net_Srak
5 Posts
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 05, 2007 07:46 PM|LINK
I repeat "wildcard host headers". This means all *.example.com maps to a single website where *.example.org could map to a different website, even though both DNS records resolves to the same IP.
There are many different reasons for using a heavy load of subdomains and none, and it all requires, that you don't have to add all these manually (or by scripting).
qbernard
5016 Posts
MVP
Moderator
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 06, 2007 04:43 AM|LINK
Well, for now all you can do is tweak the dns record and point it to the website with a particular IP. the magic here is not with IIS but DNS.
For more than 1 wildcard domain, as of know I think you can either redirect it via isapi or default page coding.
Bernard Cheah
steve schofi...
5681 Posts
MVP
Moderator
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 06, 2007 08:58 AM|LINK
That is correct. With IIS6, using something like ISAPI-Rewrite or your own custom redirect logic made using a wildcard DNS entry a dream. If you have a shared account someplace (which provides a static IP) and pointing a wildcard to your ip. You could have as many sub-domains without making any DNS updates. We use this at ORCS Web, and it makes things a lot easier.
IIS7 should work pretty much the same way, however you can do a lot more magic without all the work. The integrated pipeline makes this dropdead simple from a dev perspective. You can munge URL's all you want.
Steve Schofield
Windows Server MVP - IIS
http://iislogs.com/steveschofield
http://www.IISLogs.com
Log archival solution
Install, Configure, Forget
Net_Srak
5 Posts
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 06, 2007 09:44 PM|LINK
As of this writing, the amount of registered .com-domains equals nearly 65 million. If we substract broadcast addresses and other network necessities and includes reserved networks, the .com-domains alone would require min. 2-3 % of all IPv4 ranges. This emphasize that it is not and will never be an sollution to have one IP address per website. Not all websites need this feature, but it is waste of IP adresses to just apply them, where better solutions are possible. In addition hereto, the amount of domains in total would easily triple the amount of .com-domains if not more.
My prayer is: The Microsoft IIS development team, please implement proper support for wildcard host headers. It isn't forbidden in any way and it is possible to do while still remaining strict HTTP conformance.
Also i repeat, that this is not a DNS issue. Wildcard host headers also requires the same wilcard A record as the current "solution" does. Therefore this is completely irrelevant for the discussion as well as the solution.
ISAPI-Rewrite offers redirects, but this is not the same as true support. There is a remarkably difference in the advantages gained from pseudo redirect and proper access to correct HTTP_HOST name values and so on. If you call this a solution, a solution could also be to use a different webserver. These are not solutions and does not deal with the reason for IIS not to support something, which is widely used.
Support it. Please!
qbernard
5016 Posts
MVP
Moderator
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 07, 2007 04:38 AM|LINK
Mmm.... pray hard then.
If this is in spec, MS should and will do it.
If it's not... then pray again.
Bernard Cheah
Net_Srak
5 Posts
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 07, 2007 03:59 PM|LINK
But this has nothing to do with specification. It is usability, administration and convenience. The specification includes nothing about multiple host headers (which is possible) or many other of the features supported (scripting, virtual directories and so on).
The HTTP specification describes the rules of the web server to communicate with clients - not how the web server should be made or act internally.
qbernard
5016 Posts
MVP
Moderator
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 09, 2007 03:39 AM|LINK
Bernard Cheah
Net_Srak
5 Posts
Re: Wildcard host header support
Apr 09, 2007 05:46 PM|LINK
Well, that is the beauty of a specification. There are no other perspectives than the specification, and it is not part of the specification how the server internally maps a request to a specific website. Remember; if I enter the address http://blabla.example.com/ the headers sent to IIS would be exactly the same even if the server supports wildcard host headers. There will be no difference whatsoever in the action. If I manually has added blabla.example.com to the website or if IIS support *.example.com has no matter for both the user and the specification. It is strictly an internally decision.
If you really believes, that it is part of the specification (where as I would point your attention to the RFC 2616, so you could read for yourself), why would you allow IIS to support multiple host headers? This is not a part of the specification. Having more than one website pr. server isn't either. These are features of the server, which not breaks specification compliance but more the software more attractive. As I said, virtual directories, server includes aren't part of specification either, but they are for sure nice to have - like ASP.NET, which has nothing to do with core HTTP either.
As far as I know, the Apache team is very strict when it come to protocol compliance, and they support it. Unfortunately, Apache is not an option - if it were, I would have made the change long ago. IIS need to support common used features. To emphasize this argument, I know several hosting centers who choose Apache over IIS - not because of cost, they still use Windows - as many of their clients have need for wildcard host headers.
Also note, that you wont have to use this, if IIS implements it.