ASP Net Hosting Requirements

ASP.NET is a technology created and distributed by Microsoft. The original Active Server pages (ASP) have evolved into a robust object oriented programming language package. ASP offers programmers the choice of developing applications in Visual Basic or C#. Hosting these applications requires a Windows server, installed hosting services, and the .NET framework.

NET Framework

1. Microsoft has released several versions of the .NET framework. When hosting a .NET application, ensure the development platform and the host server have the same versions. For instance, if developers program applications using .NET version 3.5, the server hosting the pages needs .NET version 3.5 installed.

Internet Information Service (IIS)

2. IIS is a hosting application that is included with all of Microsoft's server operating systems. The hosting service is not installed by default, so users are required to add it to the server through the Control Panel's "Add/Remove Software" console. IIS also allows hosts to configure permissions and FTP services to enhance the .NET application.

Windows Operating System

3. Hosting .NET application requires at least Windows 2000. Older server software like Windows NT is not compatible with .NET applications. Client operating systems are able to host .NET websites, but these versions are not recommended for websites. Client Windows operating systems are good for development platforms to test websites.

Visual Studio

4. To program a .NET application, the developer needs Visual Studio. Visual Studio has Visual Basic and C#, so programmers have the option for either technology. Visual Studio has a component that allows developers to compile and upload to IIS servers through the software.

Service Packs

5. To provide the best security, .NET service packs are released by Microsoft. To host .NET web pages, it's important to keep the software updated with any latest patches and hotfixes. These installations improve security and remove bugs from the hosting server.