Setting the AppPool of a WebSite element in WiX 3.6

Question

I have a WiX installer which sets up a couple of root IIS websites each of which has a number of WebApplications. We have a separate AppPool for each root and put each of the WebApplications into that AppPool.

Unfortunately I can't find a way of making sure the WebSites go into their required AppPools and WiX insists on putting them in DefaultAppPool.

Am I missing anything here?

  <Component Id="INPUT" Guid="{43302D85-55B5-4C99-8C07-8AF5ED419E0A}" Directory="dirBBD4B479DF2AD0441616B5EB11867FA6" KeyPath="yes">
    <iis:WebAppPool Id="INPUTPool" Name="RCMInput" ManagedPipelineMode="integrated" ManagedRuntimeVersion="v4.0"/>
  </Component>
  <Component Id="INPUTSITE" Directory="dirBBD4B479DF2AD0441616B5EB11867FA6" Guid="{E508497A-C485-4EB8-8A91-4299BD46291B}" KeyPath="yes">
    <iis:WebSite Id="INPUTROOT" Description="RCMInput" Directory="dirBBD4B479DF2AD0441616B5EB11867FA6" AutoStart="yes" >
      <iis:WebAddress Id="INPUTROOTADDRESS" IP="[RCMINPIP]" Port="443" Secure="yes" Header="[RCMINPHOST]" />
      <iis:WebVirtualDir Id="INPUTVD" Alias="InputApp" Directory="dir0AC030D54BBE340DFFCC71C2724F6BF1">
        <iis:WebApplication Id="INPUTWEBAPP" Name="InputApp" WebAppPool="RCMInpAppPool">
          <iis:WebApplicationExtension CheckPath="no" Extension="svc" Executable="[NETFRAMEWORKROOT]v2.0.50727\aspnet_isapi.dll" Verbs="GET,HEAD,POST,PUT,DELETE"/>
        </iis:WebApplication>
      </iis:WebVirtualDir>
      <iis:WebVirtualDir Id="INPUTVD2" Alias="Administration" Directory="dir78ADFB9F5CBB65D9A3E21EAB7F4C5911">
        <iis:WebApplication Id="INPUTWEBAPP2" Name="Administration" WebAppPool="RCMInpAppPool">
          <iis:WebApplicationExtension CheckPath="no" Extension="svc" Executable="[NETFRAMEWORKROOT]v2.0.50727\aspnet_isapi.dll" Verbs="GET,HEAD,POST,PUT,DELETE"/>
        </iis:WebApplication>
      </iis:WebVirtualDir>
    </iis:WebSite>
  </Component>

Answer 1

I would guess that when you reference the AppPool name "RCMInput" in the WebApplication, it cannot resolve it and is defaulting the the Default App Pool. Have you tried running your MSI with logging turned on and see if that gives any extra detail?

From command line

msiexec /i install.msi -L*v install.log

There's a good blog post on deploying web apps in WiX at http://ranjithk.com/2009/12/17/automating-web-deployment-using-windows-installer-xml-wix/ where he defines the AppPool in the same component as the WebApplication.

Answer 2

Not sure if it has changed in 3.6 but for 3.5 when the AppPool is referenced in WebApplication use the Id, instead of using RCMInpAppPool use INPUTPool.

Here's an excellent example