The IIS Sites Transfer program is designed to transfer web sites from Microsoft Internet Information
Server version 6 (IIS 6) to another IIS 6 server. The program also allows to transfer Windows 2003
users (only local users, not Active Directory users) from one server to another and copy FTP logins,
virtual directories, Web/FTP folders structure and assign NTFS folders permissions.
You need to have metabase.xml file from the source server to accomplish the sites transfer.
MetaBase.xml is an XML file that contains IIS configuration settings. Its default location is
C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\
Note: It is strongly recommended that you make a backup of Metabase.xml file daily and store
the backup copy on a different computer or on storage media.
It is also recommended to generate GroupsUsers.xml file by using GetUsersGroups.exe daily
(or at least weekly) and store GroupsUsers.xml on a different computer or on storage media.
You can find a description of GetUsersGroups.exe utility in this document.
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
Warning: You should accomplish “IIS Reset” command (e.g. run iisreset.exe from a command
line, or use appropriate IIS Admin Console local menu item) before making a copy of
Metabase.xml file. Otherwise there is no guarantee that the file contains the actual data.
The IIS Sites Transfer utility is able to:
• Create IIS websites along with their main settings and properties by using metabase.xml file.
Note: It does not help to copy files between servers. But there are a lot of tools and different
methods. For example, you can zip (using WinZIP or WinRAR) the files and FTP the archive.
• Copy Application Pools along with their properties by using metabase.xml file.
• Create web sites folders.
• Copy local Windows 2003 users and groups.
• Copy FTP usernames.
• Assign appropriate NTFS permissions for websites.
The IIS Sites Transfer utility does not require a clean installation of Internet Information Services.
Moreover, the tool is able to transfer any selected group of websites, so you can distribute your
websites easily to adjust the servers load.
It is able to transfer websites even if the IISAdmin service is not running on the source server. You just
need to have a copy of Metabase.xml file.
System Requirements
• Microsoft .NET framework 2.0
• Microsoft Windows 2003 or Windows 2003 R2
• Microsoft IIS 6.0
• To run this tool you must be a member of Administrators group.
Scenarios
Some typical scenarios when the IIS Sites Transfer utility can help you:
• The server is down and you only have a copy of metabase.xml file from this server.
• The server is down and you only have a copy of metabase.xml and GroupsUsers.xml files
from this server.
• The server is working, but IIS is not working on this server anymore. And you can make a copy
of metabase.xml file from this server, and you are able to generate GroupsUsers.xml using
GetUsersGroups.exe on this server.
• The server (and IIS) is up and running fine and you wish to transfer several websites (or several
hundreds of sites) to other server.
In all these cases the tool allows to automatize 50% to 80% of work load.
The server is down and you only have a copy of metabase.xml
1. Log in to the destination server using an Administrator account (any account from
Administrators group), either locally or via Terminal Services.
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
2. Run IISSitesTransfer.exe on the destination server.
3. Open metabase.xml file by using File → Select metabase.xml menu.
4. Parse the data by using Tools → Parse menu.
5. Restore websites and other objects by using Tools → Create objects menu.
The server is up and running fine and you wish to transfer several
websites (or any number of sites) to other server
In this case you can copy local Users and Groups to the destination server. It is important for Windows
Sharepoint Services, Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server, FrontPage Extensions and other applications.
1. Log in to the source server using an Administrator account (any account from Administrators
group), either locally or via Terminal Services.
2. Run GetUsersGroups.exe on the source server.
3. Click the [Get user list] button.
4. Select users and groups you wish to transfer.
5. Click the [Save] button and the utility will create GroupsUsers.xml file.
6. Copy GroupsUsers.xml file to the destination server, for example via FTP.
7. Log in to the destination server using an Administrator account (any account from
Administrators group), either locally or via Terminal Services.
8. Run IISSitesTransfer.exe on the destination server.
9. Open metabase.xml file by using File → Select metabase.xml menu.
10. Open GroupsUsers.xml file by using File → Select GroupsUsers.xml menu.
11. Parse the data by using Tools → Parse menu.
12. Restore websites and other objects by using Tools → Create objects menu.
As you would have noticed, these tools are easy to use. You can find more information below.
How to use the tools
GetUsersGroups.exe utility
What is it for?
The GetUsersGroups.exe tool allows to create GroupsUsers.xml file. This file contains the list of
local Users and Groups of the source server. You need this file to copy the Users and Groups to the
destination server by using the IISSitesTransfer.exe tool.
Note: The tool is not able to copy Administrators user group and its members.
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
Creating a backup copy of user and group list
1. Log in to the source server using an Administrator account (any account from Administrators
group), either locally or via Terminal Services.
2. Run GetUsersGroups.exe on the source server.
3. Click the [Get user list] button. You’ll see the lists of all users and groups.
4. Select users and groups you wish to transfer. (Usually you just need to click the [Select all]
buttons. One under the user list, another – under the group list.)
5. Use Filter field if needed. For example, type ASP in the Filter field under the user list and
click the [Apply] button – you’ll see the list of all users containing ASP word.
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
Note: The filter is not case-sensitive.
6. Click the [Save] button and the utility will create GroupsUsers.xml file.
7. Copy GroupsUsers.xml file to the destination or backup server, for example via FTP.
IISSitesTransfer.exe utility
Menu items
1. File → Select metabase.xml – the first menu item you should use. It allows to open
metabase.xml file.
2. File → Select GroupsUsers.xml – allows to open GroupsUsers.xml file. If you do not have
this file, you can not transfer Windows users with IISSitesTransfer.exe tool. Please read
GetUsersGroups.exe utility description for more info.
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
3. Tools → Parse – is used for data processing. It parses the XML files data and fills Parsed
data tabs.
4. Tools → Create objects – allows to create websites, pools etc..
5. Tools → Sort – allows to sort the data in Parsed data tabs.
6. Tools → Save log – allows to save the log of the transfer process.
How to use the IISSitesTransfer.exe tool
1. Log in to the destination server using an Administrator account (any account from
Administrators group), either locally or via Terminal Services.
2. Run IISSitesTransfer.exe on the destination server.
3. Open metabase.xml file by using File → Select metabase.xml menu.
4. Open GroupsUsers.xml file by using File → Select GroupsUsers.xml menu if you need to
create Windows 2003 usernames and groups.
5. Parse the data by using Tools → Parse menu.
6. Unselect some items of Parsed data tabs if needed.
7. Select Tools → Create objects menu. You’ll see Create objects dialog box. Do some changes
in this dialog box if needed and click the [Ok] button.
8. Wait till the tool finishes the objects creation.
9. Use Tools → Save log menu to save the log of the creation process if needed.
“Create objects” dialog box description
• Create sites – select it if you need to create web sites and virtual directories. The tool also
creates folders for the sites and virtual directories.
• Create FTP logins – select it if you need to create FTP accounts and Windows users
associated with the FTP accounts. You can leave the FTP group field blank or specify a group
name for the newly created accounts. The tool also creates folders for the FTP accounts.
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
• Create application pools – select it if you need to create IIS Applications pools.
• Create web accounts – select it if you need to create Windows user accounts for anonymous
access for restored web sites. You can leave the Web group field blank or specify a group
name for the newly created accounts.
• Replace IP – specify the shared IP address (associated with the destination server).
• Assign NTFS permissions – select it if you need to assigns the appropriate NTFS permissions
for the restored web sites. FTP users will have Full Control permissions. Windows user
accounts created for anonymous access will have Read permissions only.
The stages of the objects creation process
Once you pressed the [Ok] button in Create objects dialog box, the tool will start to create the objects
in the following sequence:
• Creates Windows users and groups.
Note: You should have GroupsUsers.xml file and open it with GroupsUsers.xml File →
Select GroupsUsers.xml menu, otherwise the tool is not able to transfer Windows users and
groups from the source server.
• Creates Application pools if the Create application pools check box is selected.
• Creates FTP logins and directiries if the Create FTP logins check box is selected.
• Creates Windows user account for anonymous access if the Create web accounts check box is
selected.
• Creates Web sites if the Create sites check box is selected.
• Assigns the appropriate NTFS permissions if the Assign NTFS permissions check box is
selected.
Appendix
Site and virtual directory properties which can be transferred by the tool
• Application pool
• Default document
• IP bindings
• Name/URL of the site
• Access flag
• Windows user account for anonymous access
• Log file directory
Application pool properties which can be transferred by the tool
• Name of the pool
• Recycle properties
FTP user properties which can be transferred by the tool
• Access permissions (read, write)
IIS Sites Transfer User Guide
• Folder path
• FTP username
