A few IIS settings keep Rock fast and available. They keep Rock running all the time, restart it at a quiet hour instead of during a service, start it before the first visitor arrives and shrink pages before they're sent. What you'll configure DefaultAppPool: .NET CLR Version v4.0, Start Mode AlwaysRunning, Identity LocalSystem, Idle Time-out 0Recycling: one daily restart at a quiet time instead of a timed intervalDefault Web Site: Preload Enabled set to TrueBindings: HTTP on port 80 and HTTPS on port 443Compression: dynamic content compression turned on Set up the application pool 1. Open Server Manager > Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the Connections pane, expand your server and select Application Pools. 2. Right-click DefaultAppPool and select Advanced Settings.... 3. Set these four values, then select OK. .NET CLR Version - Set to v4.0. It's usually already set. Start Mode - Set to AlwaysRunning so Rock starts with the server instead of waiting for the first request. Identity - Set to LocalSystem. Select the ... button, choose Built-in account and pick LocalSystem. Idle Time-out (minutes) - Set to 0 so IIS never shuts Rock down during a quiet stretch. NoteKeep AliveSetting Idle Time-out to 0 is highly recommended, and with that setting you don't need Rock's Keep Alive process. If you can't set Idle Time-out to 0, turn on Enable Keep Alive in Admin Tools > Settings > System Configuration so Rock polls itself during inactivity. See System Configuration for details. 4. Right-click DefaultAppPool again and select Recycling.... Uncheck Regular time intervals (in minutes), check Specific time(s) and enter a quiet time such as 4:00 AM. Select Next, then Finish. Turn on preload 1. In the Connections pane, expand Sites, right-click Default Web Site and select Manage Website > Advanced Settings.... 2. Set Preload Enabled to True and select OK. With Application Initialization installed, IIS now loads Rock as soon as the site starts. Check the site bindings IIS usually sets up bindings for you. To check them, select Default Web Site and choose Bindings... in the Actions pane. Most servers use these two: http - Port 80, IP address All Unassigned, host name blank. https - Port 443, IP address All Unassigned, with your SSL certificate selected under SSL certificate. Some setups need a host name. Enter it, or use an asterisk (*) in its place. NoteNeed a certificate? - The HTTPS binding needs an SSL certificate installed on the server. The Certificates section of Intro to Internal Hosting covers your options, including the free Acme Certificate plugin from the Rock Shop. Leave Require SSL unchecked in SSL Settings. Rock sends visitors to HTTPS itself when you turn on Require Encryption for each site at Admin Tools > CMS Configuration > Sites. Requiring SSL in IIS blocks plain HTTP requests instead of redirecting them. Turn on dynamic compression Dynamic compression shrinks Rock's pages before they're sent, so they load faster. It uses the Dynamic Content Compression role service you added in Install Server Roles and Features. 1. Select Default Web Site and double-click Compression. 2. Check Enable dynamic content compression, leave Enable static content compression checked and select Apply in the Actions pane. If the dynamic option is grayed out, add the Dynamic Content Compression role service first. IIS is ready for Rock. Next, install SQL Server.