How to Stage Web Content

This topic describes how to stage Web content by using the Commerce Server Staging (CSS) Microsoft Management Console (MMC). You can use this procedure to stage Web content from a developer environment to a test environment or from a test environment to a staging environment. Any content that is defined for a Web site can be staged using CSS.

Web content can be staged from a source staging server to the following:

• The same server but to a different directory. This is referred to as same box replication.

• An endpoint or single destination server.

• An endpoint through one or more waypoints or routes.

• Multiple endpoints through one or more waypoints or routes.

This topic provides instructions for how to define the Web content project(s) based on the server role they have as defined by the staging topology.

For information about Web content staging options, see Web Content Staging Options.

Follow these steps to stage Web content.

To prepare to stage Web content

1. Determine the staging credentials that you will use when you stage the Web content. For information about staging credentials, see How Are CSS Authentication Accounts Defined and Managed?

2. For each server in the staging topology, log into the server and create the staging credentials required to create and stage the project.

   Important Note:
   To create staging projects, you must log into the staging server where you access the CSS MMC with an account that is a member of the CSS Administrators group. Also, to create the projects on the remote servers, the accounts you use to connect to the remote host servers must also be members of the CSS Administrators group on the host server.

3. Configure the security permissions on the destination folder on each endpoint server to provide full access to the staging authentication account for that server. For information about how to set folder permissions, see How to Set Folder Permissions for Staging Accounts.

4. (Optional) If you select to create a virtual directory when staging the Web content, you must provide the CSS_SG security group on the source and destination CSS servers full access control permissions to the IIS metabase. For information about how to configure access to the Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase, see How to Configure Access to the IIS Metabase.

To stage Web content

1. For each CSS server in the staging topology, add the server to the CSS MMC and optionally configure its properties. For information about how to add and configure a CSS server, see How to Add and Configure a CSS Server.

   Note

   In the CSS MMC, you can define projects and routes that reference CSS servers that have not been added to MMC. However, for verification and remote management purposes, we recommend that you add the CSS servers to MMC.

2. (Optional) If your staging topology contains waypoints, create a route. For information about how to create a route, see How to Create a Route for Staging.

3. For the source staging server, create a Web content project by using the New Project Wizard.

   Note

   When possible, create your Web content projects by using the New Project Wizard. The wizard creates the project on each server in the staging topology.

   When you create this project, define the destinations for the project according to the information that follows based on your staging topology:

   Staging topology	Task
   Same box replication	Add one destination of type Local Server and specify a destination path that differs from the Project Directory.
   Point to point	Add one destination that specifies the endpoint.
   Point to point through a waypoint	Add a route. The route should be defined on the source staging server and the waypoint. The route defined for the source staging server specifies the waypoint as its destination. The route defined for the waypoint specifies the endpoint as its destination.
   Point to multiple points through multiple waypoints	Add as many routes as you must to trace the route paths from the source staging server to the endpoint servers. The routes should be defined on the source staging server and each waypoint. The route that is defined for the source staging server specifies the waypoints as its destinations. The route that is defined for the waypoints specifies the endpoints as its destinations.

   CSS automatically defines a project for each server in the staging topology when you create the project by using the New Project Wizard. The properties for each project will differ depending on the server role that is assigned to it. For information about how to create Web content projects, see How to Create a Project for Staging Web Content.

4. Check that the project created in step 3 has been created under each server in the staging topology. If you specified routes, a project should be created for each server in the route.

   In the tree directory of the Commerce Server Staging console, expand each server and then click Projects. The same project that was created in step 3 should be listed in the right pane.

5. (Optional) Make any modifications you want to the project properties for any server in the staging topology. For information about Web content project options, see Web Content Staging Options.

   For information about how to change Web content project properties, see the following topics:

   • Changing the Project Properties of a Web Content Project

   • Changing the Filters in a Web Content Project

   • Changing the Schedule for a Web Content Project

   • How to Change the IIS Virtual Directory Settings for a Web Content Project

   • How to Change the Advanced Options for a Web Content Project

   • Changing the E-mail Notifications for a Staging Project

   • Changing the Security Settings for a Staging Project

6. (Optional) For each waypoint, open the Properties dialog box for the project that is defined for the waypoint server. Note the following definitions that apply to project properties that are defined for waypoints:

   • The Destinations that are defined for the waypoint should only include those routes or endpoints that are destinations in the staging topology for that waypoint.

   • The properties on the Filters, IIS, Advanced, and Schedule tabs should be left undefined. These properties are ignored for waypoints. The project defined for the waypoint starts replication as soon as it receives the Web content transmitted.

7. (Optional) For each endpoint server, open the Properties dialog box for the project that is defined for the endpoint. Note the following definitions that apply to project properties that are defined for endpoints:

   • There should be one Destination defined for the endpoint whose Type is set to Local Server.

   • The properties on the Filters tab should be left undefined. These properties are ignored on endpoints.

   • The properties on the IIS tab specify the virtual directory to map a client-available directory to a physical directory. You can change the virtual directory settings to modify the permissions that clients have on the virtual directory.

   • The following properties on the Advanced tab are read for an endpoint:

     Skip locked files on source or destination	Select to prevent overwriting of target files if the target files are locked or are being used. If you do not select this option and the target files are locked or are being used, the deployment will fail.
     Preserve Content on destination when deleting from source	Select to preserve files on the endpoint server. If you deleted files on the source staging server, but do not want to delete these files on the endpoint, select this option.
     Enable timed release	Select to publish deployed content when the endpoint receives a project Apply command, or at the Schedule apply time specified on the Schedule tab.

   • The Schedule tab can be used to specify a Schedule apply time. Any time set for Schedule replication is ignored.

8. To stage the Web content, start project replication manually. For information about how to start replication, see How to Start Project Replication.

   Otherwise, the Web content data will be staged according to the Schedule replication time that you set on the source staging server. It will be deployed according to the Schedule apply time that you set on each endpoint.

9. (Optional) To view the progress of a staging project, you can check the status of the project on each server in the staging topology. The status is indicated in the Project view for each server. Or, you can view the Replication report on the source staging server.

   For more information about CSS reports, see How to View Local Staging Events.

10. (Optional) If you selected to stage IIS and specified a virtual directory, you can configure additional Virtual Directory properties, such as specifying the application pool, by using IIS Manager.

See Also

Other Resources

Web Content Staging Options

How to Create a Route for Staging

How to Start Project Replication

How to View Local Staging Events

Web Content Staging Topologies

Web Content Staging Options

How Are CSS Authentication Accounts Defined and Managed?

Staging Web Sites and Commerce Server Data