ArcGIS Server or ArcIMS 9.2 and d:\inetpub

ArcGIS Server or ArcIMS 9.2 and D:\Inetpub

June 25th, 2007 · 15 Comments · ArcGIS Server, ArcIMS, ESRI

OK, so most of us have their inetpub directories at “c:\inetpub”, but not all. I’m one of those people. For reasons I cannot recall, my inetpub directory is on my “d:\” drive. But that isn’t a problem is it? Well if you try and install either ArcGIS Server or ArcIMS 9.2 you’ll notice that ESRI assumes that everyone has their inetpub directory at “c:\”. I figured this out after a couple minutes of a blank ArcGIS Server Manager page. I went into IIS Manager and noticed that Manager was pointing to “d:\Inetpub\wwwroot\ArcGIS\Manager” which of course didn’t exist. The post install was nice enough to create “c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\ArcGIS\Manager” but that isn’t where my inetpub directory is located.

So I went back into the GIS Server Post Install just to double check and make sure that I didn’t miss something.

And the Install Summary doesn’t reveal much.

GIS Server Post Install Summary
——————————————————————
Input config file: C:\Documents and Settings\Fee\My Documents\agspostinstall.xml

Configure as server object manager.
Configure as server object container.

ArcGIS SOM account: ArcGISSOM
ArcGIS SOC account: ArcGISSOC
ArcGIS WebServices account: ArcGISWebServices

Server directories:
Output directory: c:\arcgisserver\arcgisoutput
Cache directory: c:\arcgisserver\arcgiscache
Jobs directory: c:\arcgisserver\arcgisjobs

Virtual directories:
Output virtual directory: http://localhost/arcgisoutput
Cache virtual directory: http://localhost/arcgiscache
Jobs virtual directory: http://localhost/arcgisjobs

And heaven forbid if you try and install to a computer that doesn’t have a “c:\” drive. Anyway, this probably needs to be address at some point. So if this happens to you, just copy the “c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\ArcGIS” folder to your IIS drive.

Update: JT points out a KB article that explains the why and how to fix the issue. Yea, its a huge PITA.

Update 2: Word from ESRI is that this will be fixed at the next release.

Tags:

15 responses so far ↓

1 oops // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:11 pm

Is that at ArcGIS Server 0.9.2?
2 JT // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:12 pm

Actually, there’s more to it than that. You’ll want to read and follow this KB article:
http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=knowledgebase.techarticles.articleShow&d=32546
3 James Fee // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:20 pm

Maybe I’m not as smart as most but this is the only time I can ever remember this being a problem. Every other IIS plugin I’ve installed has given me the option to point the install to the d:\ drive.

It might be IIS that is the problem, but the lack of info back from the installer doesn’t exactly help. Hiding this info in a KB article that didn’t show up when I searched for it isn’t an excuse (though I guess the search is still really bad at support.esri.com so place blame where you wish).
4 Alvin // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:25 pm

We fought this for weeks with ESRI support. They finally figured it out, but even they were stumped. At least now we’ll see this in Google because of your blog James.

I don’t care about the why and telling me that the registry isn’t updated seems like a huge cop out.

WE (my company) PAID OVER 45K FREAKING DOLLARS FOR THIS THING, MAKE IT WORK ESRI! THESE EXCUSES WORK WHEN WE PAID $500ish FOR ARCVIEW 3.X, BUT NOT AT THESE PRICES.
5 Lefty // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:38 pm

How come it doesn’t ask where inetpub is? I’m pretty sure ArcIMS 9.1 always did.
6 anon // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:40 pm

Alvin, you know damn well we are all ESRI beta testers for their server products.
7 JT // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:41 pm

Not sure on the search issue, I searched for “ArcGIS Server inetpub” on support.esri.com and it was the third hit. That doesn’t seem so bad

But I wouldn’t have expected this earlier…I just happen to know because I ran into the exact same issue with an ArcGIS Server install, and had to work with ESRI Support to resolve it. They originally sent me this KB article which seems to do the trick
8 Right of Lefty // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:42 pm

Lefty: One of two reasons…

1. They discovered this very late in the beta cycle and couldn’t fix it.

2. They are lazy and would rather blame the user for not using the “default” IIS install directory.
9 ESRI's Bitch // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:43 pm

Note to ESRI:

My default IIS install is what I make it, not what you decide it is.
10 James Fee // Jun 25, 2007 at 1:45 pm

JT: I think I searched for “blank ArcGIS Server manager” which was my observation as to what was happening. It didn’t occur to me that it was an issue with how my IIS was set up. The post install help didn’t mention anything.

That just brings up the issue with the support site. The info is there, it just isn’t getting out to the front line.
11 anon // Jun 25, 2007 at 3:06 pm

I have to agree with most above. AGS is too expensive to have all these little nagging issues. There is a ton of power with AGS, but I don’t like being treated like a beta tester all the time.
12 Cellulose // Jun 25, 2007 at 5:00 pm

How do you think us actual beta testers feel?
13 CMH // Jun 26, 2007 at 8:20 am

This is a common problem with ESRI software/server apps. If you don’t use the defaults out of the box you are going to bring the pain. If you think ArcGIS server is bad try doing a custom install of the GeoPortal Toolkit. ESRI isn’t doing themselves any favors. Of course maybe that is the plan. Before we even got our 9.2 DVD’s last year we received a quote from ESRI Professional Services for them to come out and install it for us…..
14 NoLove // Jun 26, 2007 at 11:16 am

James,

The timing of your article is perfect. I too am a D:\InetPub kind of guy. I try not to put anything on C. On Friday I downloaded the new TOC patch for server and then all of a sudden Manager died. Hmmmm

Getting errors such as:

Sorry…

An error has occurred at: http://localhost/ArcGIS/Manager/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/ArcGIS/Manager/default.aspx.

The file ‘/ArcGIS/Manager/login.aspx’ has not been pre-compiled, and cannot be requested.

For more details, check Manager’s web server application event log.

I ended up copying the Manager directory that was copied to C:\Inetpub\wwwroot by the installer to my D:\Inetpub path and restarted IIS and guess what everything worked.

Come on guys.
15 Double-A // Jun 27, 2007 at 1:04 pm

Not only that, but you have to be pretty damn smart to figure out all these permission & security settings in order to allow remote arcgis server admins to publish their services.

me no like it!

As for the price of this product, you won’t ever see me forking up that amount of money from my own wallet, but if that’s what all these big firms wanna do, well that’s more consulting work for me!!!