Understanding Virtual Directory on Windows

Article Number:01025

A virtual directory maps a URL that users enter on the Web browser to a specific directory on the server.
The virtual directory is basically configured in the following combination:

The virtual directory settings are configured on Web servers.

Item Description
Directory The directory contains files to be published on the web.
Alias name This is the name specified in the URL when users access from a Web browser.
Access permissions to the directory This is what Web servers can perform for that directory.

The following items are set by default in the Web server (IIS) of Windows.

  • Directory: C:\InetPub\scripts
  • Alias Name: /scripts
  • Access permissions: Execute without Read

In this setting, when you access http://(server hostname)/scripts/test.exe from your web browser, the server will execute the test.exe file located in the C:\InetPub\scripts directory, which has executable access permissions and the "/scripts" refers to.

If access permissions for "/scripts" are "Executable", all the directories under it also have executable access permissions.
This means that both "/scripts/sales/test1.exe" and "/scripts/system/test2.exe" are executable.
When the Cybozu product is installed in the default C:\InetPub\scripts, you can run the product without configuring the virtual directory.

If you installed the product to a location other than C: \InetPub\scripts, you must set a new virtual directory.