Stumpled across a interesting new module for IIS 7.0: Helicon APE (APache Emulation) by Helicon Tech, currently in beta and available for download.
Helicon Ape is a unique module that emulates Apache execution environment on Microsoft IIS. It literally implements Apache configuration model (like .htaccess and httpd.conf files) and all most demanded Apache modules in a single IIS add-on, not only making IIS compatible with Apache, but also extending it’s functionality by a number of highly essential features.
Key features of Helicon APE:
- compatibility with Apache modules configurations (beta version includes only basic modules but the list will be extending with future releases)
- unprecedented compatibility with PHP-based applications;
- user-friendly interface and plain text configurations (no XML!)
- per-site installation without hosting administration involvement/assistance
- powerful and flexible modules for URL rewriting
- extensive forward and reverse proxy instruments
- comprehensive authorization capabilities
Benefits:
- users can move their Apache web sites to IIS without modifications
- current PHP and other Unix oriented web applications can be easily configured for IIS
- flexible user permissions control (as they implemented in Apache world)
- powerful URL rewriting compatible with Apache does not require rule redesign
- reverse and forward proxy features available for your web server
- low level controls over web site behavior open extended abilities for optimisation, security and performance
Currently implemented modules:
- mod_auth_basic – allows the use of HTTP Basic Authentication
- mod_auth_digest – allows the use of MD5 Digest Authentication
- mod_authn_anon – configures anonymous users access authenticated areas
- mod_authn_default – rejects whatever credentials if no authentication is set
- mod_authn_file – provides authentication based on user look-up in plain text password file
- mod_authz_default – rejects any authorization request if no authentication is configured
- mod_authz_groupfile – allows or denies access to particular areas of the site depending on user group membership
- mod_authz_host – allows access control to particular parts of web server based on hostname, IP address, or other characteristics of the client request
- mod_authz_user – allows or denies access of authenticated users to portions of the web site
- mod_core – implements core features of Helicon Ape
- mod_env – allows control of the environment provided to CGI scripts and SSI pages
- mod_expires – allows setting of Expires HTTP header and max-age directive of Cache-Control HTTP header in server responses in relation to either the time the source file was last modified, or to the time of the client access
- mod_headers – enables modification of HTTP request and response headers
- mod_proxy – implements forward and reverse proxy functions for your IIS server
- mod_rewrite – allows rewriting of requested URLs on the fly based on regular-expressions-based rules and various conditions
- mod_setenvif – allows setting environment variables depending on whether different parts of the request match specified regular expressions
- mod_so – emulates loading modules functions
More info. and download at: http://www.helicontech.com/ape/