What's the difference between normal folder and application in IIS?

Question

I'm setting up an IIS site, and want to support many different Sub-ENVs in one site. What should I do about IIS structure? An application within a normal folder or using sub application?

Directory Structure:

D:\MySite
|_qa1
  |_app
|_qa2
  |_app

One method:

MySite
|_qa1(normal folder)
  |_app(application)
|_qa2(normal folder)
  |_app(application)

Another method:

MySite
|_qa1(application)
  |_app(application)
|_qa2(application)
  |_app(application)

App pool

MySite: MySite
qa1: MySite_qa1
app in qa1: MySite_qa1_app
qa2: MySite_qa2
app in qa2: MySite_qa2_app

I read the doc Virtual Directory . But it is said that you might use a virtual directory when you want your application to include images from another location in the file system, but you do not want to move the image files into the physical directory that is mapped to the application's root virtual directory. It is different from normal folder.

So what's the better choice? And could you describe the advantage or disadvantage?

Answer 1

What's the difference between normal folder and application in IIS?

In my opinion, the main difference between the normal folder and application in IIS is the application will have its own application pool, but the folder don't.

The folder will inheit from its parent IIS's websites application pool.

I'm setting up an IIS site, and want to support many different Sub-ENVs in one site.

In my opinion, choosing which method is according to your actual requirement.

If qa1 or qa2 is just a folder which contains different apps, I suggest you could set its as a folder not a application, since become a application will have its own application pool, which will take system resource to run it.

If qa1 or qa2 is just a folder which contains its own application file, I suggest you could set its as a application, since it could be managed by different application pool.