What is our primary use case?
We are basically using IIS like people use SharePoint. Technically IIS is a configurable web server. SharePoint is meant to be a collaborative tool. We configured IIS to be a collaborative tool of our own design.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable parts of IIS are the interface, simplicity, and ease of management.
What needs improvement?
There are a lot of security issues with IIS, and this has become more of a concern, especially recently. That security problem is the biggest disadvantage. Scalability is also a problem. Microsoft needs to improve on that aspect of the product. There are many limitations on IIS that seem like they should not be hard to remedy. On the other hand, Microsoft is doing more to concentrate on Azure for the cloud solution, so it may be their intent that Azure is ultimately the better solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
Overall, I have been working with IIS solutions on the cloud and on-premises for eight to ten years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Recently IIS has been more stable than in earlier releases and it has gotten better as it matured.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I do not think that much of IIS as a very scalable solution. It is used by our entire organization, which is about 1,000-plus end-users. But the product itself has limitations built into it. We have a maximum of two people who manage the product. We work with it somewhat less now because of the scalability limitations and security issues, so we also dedicate less staff to projects with the product.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is neutral: not good and not bad. It has become less satisfying because they changed how support is handled and we have to depend on forums. We do not have direct access to Microsoft support, in other words. It is not at all optimal. Microsoft tries to divert from this lack of interest in supporting the product, I think, by providing documentation. We also use the community and go into the forums — the Microsoft TechNet forums — and then use Google as a last resort. For technical support on IIS, it turns out that Google is our best friend.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
From the beginning, we have been using Microsoft products as our base solution. We have Unix and Apache and those things in addition in the places where we need them, but we are mainly running on IIS and Windows.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. That is one of the biggest advantages for IIS. It takes just three or four clicks and the installation is done. The whole process takes just a few minutes.
What other advice do I have?
Recent versions, especially IIS 10, are very stable. For the stability I highly recommend IIS. On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate IIS as an eight-out-of-ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
