VS2013: How to debug a web application under a specific app domain?

Question

I have a few applications running under one app domain using port 80. I'm using port 80 to test and develop web application code.

I want to take those same applications and publish them in a different app domain under a different port, 8001.

This way, clients can view my applications that's using port 8001 while I develop and compile my project on port 80. However, when I debug my application, it freezes both the web applications on both port 80 and 8001.

How can I debug my application under port 80 without affecting the web applications under port 8001?

Answer 1

You need to make sure that you have two different application pools in IIS, because each application pool usually runs as a different process (w3wp.exe). If you debug a site running in a pool it stops execution of that process. If your other site uses the same AppPool/process it stops as well.

I just double checked this by settings up two sites with their own AppPools. I can debug one site and still use the other. I haven't tested whether this works with multiple webApplications under the same site as well.

Personally I use IIS Express to do my development and debugging, but keeping a proper IIS running and pointing to the same sites. This way my debugging is never a problem for other users (unless I break the site).

Ideally you don't really want other users to hit the same site you are currently working on. Just use a different site for other users, and update it with your latest build when stable enough.