Migrating From Apache to IIS

June 6, 2009 by Butterfly Filed under: Web Hosting

With the roll out of IIS 7, many firms will be tempted to migrate from Apache to IIS, taking advantage of the new architecture as well as the inherent long term cost savings of the Windows Server platform.

However, research shows that when it comes to deciding on which technology to use, decisions are almost always based on how familiar one’s developers are with a certain platform. With many products offering comparable features, a dedicated Apache administrator will keep his or her eyes closed to the possibility of using IIS simply because people like to work in environments that are familiar to them.

IIS certainly works in a very different way from Apache, and in order to make use of the several new features, managers are going to have to find ways convince their IT teams to make the shift to IIS 7. Or say, that your firm has just acquired or has been acquired by another and the move necessitates the migration of your currently existing sites on Apache onto the new IIS platform.

We had seen earlier how a simple ISAPI_Rewrite module from Helicon could transfer Apache’s URL rewrite capability and configuration onto IIS. The latest product from Helicon – The APE (Apache Emulator) module allows full scale migration of websites from Apache onto IIS. Such applications not only make the migration from Apache easier, they also allow Apache developers to gradually get used to the IIS environment, by cushioning the transition.

Helicon’s APE module.

Helicon’s APE brings the functionality of many modules that are implemented on Apache, to IIS. It’s like a mega upgrade from the ISAPI_Rewrite module and Helicon provides special rates for those who are upgrading.

This allows the migration of entire websites from the Apache server to the IIS server, in most cases without any modification. This is particularly useful with PHP applications that can now run without any problems and with comparable speed on an IIS platform. In addition, administrators can still make use of the ubiquitous httpd.conf file that they are used to using in Apache.

Currently, the APE software provides 19 modules that can be ported over to IIS, and if the support forums are anything to go by, Helicon is planning to keep adding more and more to this feature set.

Inclusion with IIS 7 Hosting plans.

Sensing the benefits of Helicon’s APE, many hosting providers are now including this module along with their standard IIS 7 hosting plans, paving the way for many administrators to make the shift to IIS servers. For managers, this makes their job that much easier, as they can now provide their IT teams with the tools needed for a successful migration from Apache to IIS 7.

This is quite a value add to any IIS hosting plan, as the license for the Helicon APE module is $175. Providers of Virtual Private Servers will especially benefit from this as their users are much more likely to demand advanced features from their hosting plans.