[IIS] Make IIS Run Faster

These small tweaks will make IIS run faster, it is important that you read the box that appears down when you click on a settings section in IIS Application pool settings window. This tweak makes Maximum Worker Process = a number greater than 1. This will be helpful (make the application run faster) for an application that utilizes databases and long computational processes. Read more here. 

If you manage your own web server, whether through in-house hosting or a managed Windows hosting provider, it's important to understand the default behavior of IIS7. By default, IIS7 sets application pools to "time-out" after 20 minutes of inactivity. This means that if there are no visitors to your site within that time, the application pool will shut down to free up system resources. When a new request comes in, IIS7 automatically restarts the application pool and serves the requested pages.

This approach is beneficial for resource management since each running application pool incurs some overhead on the system. However, it also means that the first request after a restart can be slow. The process needs to start, load the required components (such as .NET), and then load the requested pages. Depending on the complexity and size of your application, this initial request can range from a few seconds to over 30 seconds. This delay may lead users to abandon your site and seek alternatives.

To adjust the time-out setting, you have the option to extend the default 20-minute duration to your desired timeframe. Alternatively, you can set the time-out to 0 (zero), effectively disabling it and ensuring that the application pool never shuts down due to inactivity.

To make these changes, follow these steps:
1. Open Server Manager.
2. Expand the Roles node.
3. Expand the Web Server (IIS) node and click on it.
4. Expand the node that corresponds to your local server name.
5. Click on the Application Pools icon.
6. In the right-hand pane, locate the option for Advanced Settings and click on it.

By adjusting the time-out setting, you can tailor the behavior of your application pools to suit your needs, optimizing the performance and responsiveness of your website.