Web Deployment Project - Publish?

[AG]

Using VS 2008 SP1.

I have a Web Application project (not Website project).
I added a web deployment project to the solution.

The web deployment project builds to the destination local folder. No
problem here.

I have searched the web, but must be missing something because I can't seem
to figure out how to publish the compiled web application.

I know that I can manually copy everything to the web server (a shared
host), but there must be a simpler way.

The web app itself can be published via Build > Publish, but I don' see
anything similar for the deployment project.

What am I missing?

Thanks for any help.

 

[AG]

Mark,

Thanks for the quick response.
I had seen those articles, but that requires installing the web deployment
tool on the web server. I don't see that being an option on a shared web
host. Or did I miss something?

--

AG
Email: npATadhdataDOTcom

 

[AG]

[please don't top-post]
http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html

I had seen those articles, but that requires installing the web
deployment tool on the web server.

Yes, that's right.

I don't see that being an option on a shared web host.

Any decent service which offers ASP.NET hosting will already have this
installed...

Thanks, I am checking with my host.
Also, thanks for the info on top-posting. I will try to remember.

 

[Gregory A. Beamer]

Using VS 2008 SP1.

I have a Web Application project (not Website project).
I added a web deployment project to the solution.

The web deployment project builds to the destination local folder. No
problem here.

I have searched the web, but must be missing something because I can't
seem to figure out how to publish the compiled web application.

I know that I can manually copy everything to the web server (a shared
host), but there must be a simpler way.

The web app itself can be published via Build > Publish, but I don'
see anything similar for the deployment project.

What am I missing?

Thanks for any help.

I see Mark has already taken you through this, but wanted to summarize
and add my thoughts.

If you want to go the normal publish route, you have a few options:

1. XCopy bits over
2. FTP bits over
3. Use the web deployment bits on the server

The other direction is to make an installer project. I would personally
not do this in most instances, as it requires site downtime. The
possible exception is a web farm where you can take one machine down at
a time.

As copying is so much faster (my general downtime was a few seconds), I
see no reason to use an installer other than a really complex site. And
then I would think about it.


Web deployment changes somewhat in VS 2010, with additional options for
setting up config differences, etc.

One option, outside of VS2010, is to use Expression Web to deploy, as it
can use FTP, Web DAV, FrontPage extensions, etc. But there are some
issues with EW, depending on how the server is set up, so it is not a
silver bullet.

 

[AG]

I see Mark has already taken you through this, but wanted to summarize
and add my thoughts.

If you want to go the normal publish route, you have a few options:

1. XCopy bits over
2. FTP bits over
3. Use the web deployment bits on the server

The other direction is to make an installer project. I would personally
not do this in most instances, as it requires site downtime. The
possible exception is a web farm where you can take one machine down at
a time.

As copying is so much faster (my general downtime was a few seconds), I
see no reason to use an installer other than a really complex site. And
then I would think about it.


Web deployment changes somewhat in VS 2010, with additional options for
setting up config differences, etc.

One option, outside of VS2010, is to use Expression Web to deploy, as it
can use FTP, Web DAV, FrontPage extensions, etc. But there are some
issues with EW, depending on how the server is set up, so it is not a
silver bullet.

Gregory,

Thanks for the additional info.
My sites are typically not too complex and using the deployment tool seems
like overkill.
I actually did use Expression Web to deply. For the initial deployment,
there are folder permission issues, but my host is very cooperative at
fixing those. They don't re-appear when re-deploying changed files. Plus, I
can open the remote site and make changes to the web.config, directly, if I
need to.

I used to use ftp, but it causes additional file permission problems with
IIS 7, not only with initial deploy, but with any updates. Which is why I
switched to Expression Web.

You used the term 'bits' in each of the options you listed. Are you
referring to the individual components of a project, or does that have some
other meaning (that I have obviously missed)?

 

[Gregory A. Beamer]

Thanks for the additional info.
My sites are typically not too complex and using the deployment tool
seems like overkill.

It often is. It works great for business sites, but I find xcopy easier.

I actually did use Expression Web to deply. For the initial
deployment, there are folder permission issues, but my host is very
cooperative at fixing those. They don't re-appear when re-deploying
changed files. Plus, I can open the remote site and make changes to
the web.config, directly, if I need to.

I believe you can set up exclusions with EW2, although it may be EW3 (to be
released July 10th, according to the sites I have read).

I used to use ftp, but it causes additional file permission problems
with IIS 7, not only with initial deploy, but with any updates. Which
is why I switched to Expression Web.

With IIS 7, many of the permissions issues may have been related to the
config. Not sure 100%, but that is common.

You used the term 'bits' in each of the options you listed. Are you
referring to the individual components of a project, or does that have
some other meaning (that I have obviously missed)?

I am talking about deploying all of the files for the project, including
the precompiled portions.

The way I used to do this is upload to another directory on the server and
then xcopy over. This is not an option with most, if not all, hosts (at
least not without a dedicated or virtual server.

 

[AG]

It often is. It works great for business sites, but I find xcopy easier.


I believe you can set up exclusions with EW2, although it may be EW3 (to
be
released July 10th, according to the sites I have read).


With IIS 7, many of the permissions issues may have been related to the
config. Not sure 100%, but that is common.


I am talking about deploying all of the files for the project, including
the precompiled portions.

The way I used to do this is upload to another directory on the server and
then xcopy over. This is not an option with most, if not all, hosts (at
least not without a dedicated or virtual server.

Greg,

Thanks for the additional info!