The command components are:
- /i:<path to Sysoc.inf file>, where <path to Sysoc.inf file> is the full path to the Sysoc.inf file; for example: C:\windows\inf\sysoc.inf
- /u:<path to answer file>, where <path to answer file> is the full path to the answer file that contains a list of items to add or remove
- /q - runs Sysocmgr.exe in quiet mode (without display pages)
- /r - suppresses reboot (if needed)
This example enables the installation of the common files for IIS, the IIS debugging tools, the FTP server, the Web administrator site (HTML), the MMC files, the SMTP server, the Web server, MTS, and Index Server. In the first section, two entries relate to FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions, and one is commented out. I haven't been able to determine which entry is correct or whether they represent different components of the application. In the second section, I designated the paths for the FTP server and the Web server, but commented out the path information for the MSMQ service.
For this example to function correctly, the IIS servers must not be currently installed. To use this example, paste the Sysocmgr command into a new text document and save the file as moveiis.bat. Place the moveiis.bat and iis.txt files in a temporary folder, then execute the batch file moveiis.bat, which starts the Windows component installation and installs the components selected within the answer file.
After the installation is complete, the Web and FTP folders are in the location I chose for my environment. The advantage to making a few changes is that I can quickly adjust a new installation to suit my needs. If modifying the metabase seems too extreme, you can uninstall the IIS services from the Add/Remove Software Wizard, then reinstall IIS by using the answer file and the batch file to specify the location of choice. I found that by using the batch file, the SMTP services were in the same location as the FTP and Web services.
For our organization and the clients who use our services, the ability to change the default path of IIS folders is a crucial piece of our security model. We use these path changes with other settings to increase the security on our systems. Changing the file locations adds a barrier.
In addition, changing the default paths for IIS folders benefits ISPs that use Win2K servers for hosting Web sites or user sites. Unless Microsoft adds to Win2K the ability to change the IIS installation path through the setup program, you need to use VBScript or perform special installations to relocate the default folders.