FastCGI in IIS8 : windows 8

Objective : In the previous document, I described how to tune up FastCGI in IIS7 in windows 2008 R2 server. FYI, you need FastCGI to host your PHP applications in Internet Information Server( IIS).
In IIS 6.0 you have to download FastCGI and configure it; IIS7 FastCGI is packed with FastCGI and many other features, allowing the developer to develop PHP as well as Dot-Net application in parallel.
In this document I showed how to add FastCGI in windows 8 Home Premium desktop (Dell Inspiron 660, 64 Bit OS ). I also showed how to set "index.php" as a starter page in IIS. Usually "index.php" is a default starter page in Apache Server, to invoke "index.php" saved in a physical directory you have to create a file "web.config". Obviously, in IIS you have to create a virtual directory which will run the files saved in a physical directory. As an alternative, you may crate a local folder, meaning creating a folder in wwwroot folder, and then from IIS manager, you have to transform this folder into an application.

Step 1: Turn on windows application from control panel

Next Click On Turn Windows features on or off.

Make Sure that the following features are selecteed.

IIS 8 provides the following features.

Step2: Installing windows fea 2tures: it may take some time.

Step 3: webroot: If you are through with the above steps, http:localhost or htttp://computername will post the default web page. the default page is "iisstart.htm"

An xml  file, "web.config", was   added to this folder. This configuration file helps customizing  your web (virtual )directory and physical folders.

Step 4: using Handler Manager in IIS.

Type IIS in search box of Windows 8 Home Premium Edition, nd open IIS window.

The IIS window may resembles like this illustration. You need to look for FastCGI application icon at the top-server hierarchies.

Step 5 : Click On Handler Manager

Click To Open handler manager and you may have to add a php-module.

Click on "Add Module Mapping" and set appropriate reference in the boxes.

Step 6 : In the above steps, you tuned up IIS server to host PHP applications in FastCGI environment. Now we would create a virtual directory named, "myphp" inn IIS, connecting a physical folder "my_php" in the C drive.  You may also create a folder and add some code, then create an application using IIS manager.

The folder "my_php" as mentioned above, contained few php files and a configuration file to launch "index.php" as default a starter page.

I added some script as shown below. the codes are self-explanatory, default document and files blocks in place to invoke the "index.php" in a web-browser.

The codes in "index.php" has few lines of script, which calls a function phpInfo(); I silenced warnings, as i did not have have the time modules in PHP set as per Time/Zone/Location.