Key Configuration Settings When Deploying a Web Application

The configuration information for an ASP.NET application is stored in one or more XML-based configuration files named Web.config. The default configuration settings for all web applications on the web server are spelled out in the Web.config file in the $WINDOWS$\Microsoft.NET\Framework\version\CONFIG folder. These default settings can be added to over overridden for a specific web application by the Web.config file in that application's root directory. Moreover, these configuration settings can be customized for a web application on a folder-by-folder basis by adding Web.config files to the application's subfolders.

The Web.config file spells out an array of configuration settings, including: database connection strings, authentication and URL authorization rules, and the behavior that unfolds when an unhandled exception occurs, among many others. Many configuration settings differ between the development environment and the production environment. For example, when you are developing an ASP.NET application on your desktop you are likely using a different database than when the application is in production. Consequently, the database connection strings in Web.config need to be updated when deploying an application.

Some of these types of configuration settings must be changed when deploying an application, like database connection strings. Failure to modify the configuration information when deploying will cause the web application not to work in production. These types of configuration settings are easy to remember to change. But there are a number of configuration settings that should be changed when deploying an application, but if they are not changed the application will still work in production. These configuration settings are easy to forget to change, and forgetting to change them can reduce the performance of your application or make it more vulnerable to attacks from malicious users. This article details a handful of configuration settings that fit into this latter category. Read on to learn more!
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