Chapter 13: Configuration

Overview

Whenever you build an application, the storage of details describing the behaviors and settings for the application, also known as configuration information, are required. As it relates to web applications, configuration information includes details such as database connection strings, timeout values, and various other behaviors such as how errors should be logged, or how state is to be maintained .

Those of you with a background in developing pages using ASP will no doubt recall that all application configuration information is stored in a binary repository called the Internet Information Services ( IIS ) metabase . To configure an ASP application such as changing the Session timeout “ an example we'll use throughout the chapter “ the metabase needs to be modified, either through script or more commonly through the IIS Microsoft Management Console snap-in.

ASP.NET, unlike ASP, does not require extensive use of the IIS metabase. Instead, ASP.NET uses an XML-based configuration system. As you will see in this chapter, ASP.NET's configuration system is much more flexible, accessible, and easier to use.

The following is a breakdown of what this chapter will cover:

• Configuration overview :We will start with a high-level overview of configuration, discuss what's new in ASP.NET and how configuration has changed from ASP. We will look at a common example, configuring Session state, to better frame the discussion. We will also discuss the new configuration file format in detail.

• Common configuration settings :Here we will look at several of the most common configuration settings that will be used when working with ASP.NET. These settings include options for Session state, security, and management of the ASP.NET worker process. The bulk of this chapter will be spent in this section.

• Advanced topics :In this section we will discuss some more advanced topics such as the creation of configuration section handler and settings.

Let's get started with an overview of configuration.