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Overview of Migrating Apache Web Sites to IIS 6.0

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

The Apache Web site migration process is completed with the Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool. This tool is a set of configurable modules to migrate Apache Web sites — including FrontPage® Server Extensions from Microsoft, .htaccess files, and user directories — to servers running IIS 6.0 on Microsoft Windows® Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows® Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Windows® Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and Windows® Server 2003, Web Edition. The tool is a Perl-based command-line utility that migrates both Web content and configuration settings.

The Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool supports Apache versions 1.3.0–1.3.22, as well as the following Linux distributions:

  • Red Hat software (Linux versions 6.0, 6.2, 7.0, 7.1, and 7.2)

  • Mandrake Linux (versions 8.0, 8.1, and 8.2)

  • SuSE (versions 7.3 and 8.0)

You can use the Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool to migrate site content and configuration settings from a source server (a server running a supported version of Linux and Apache) to a target server (a server running a Windows Server 2003 operating system and IIS 6.0). You can perform the migration from the source server, the target server, or on an intermediate computer. The intermediate computer must have File Transfer Protocol (FTP) access to the source and target servers.

The Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool migrates only the Apache Web site content and configuration. If the Apache Web site is made up of only static content, such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) pages, the migration can most likely be completed with a few simple steps. However, Apache Web sites containing dynamic content, such as PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) or Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts, might need modifications to the code in the dynamic content after migration. In addition, any existing provisioning scripts or setup programs for the existing Apache Web sites typically require modifications after the migration process is complete. Because each organization has different provisioning scripts and setup programs, you need to review and make modifications based on input from your developers, and then test the Web site after completing the modifications. For more information about possible necessary modifications to dynamic content, see Determining Web Site Compatibility with IIS 6.0 later in this section.

For more information about the Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool, including how to install it, see Preparing to Migrate to IIS 6.0 later in this section. For more information about the additional migration tasks that you must perform after running the Apache to IIS 6.0 Migration Tool, see Migrating Apache-Specific Extensions later in this section.