Managing Virtual Directories

A virtual directory in Plesk is a link to an existing physical directory that is present on the server's hard disk.

To create a new virtual directory on a domain:

1. Click Web Directories on your Home page. You are in your web site root now.
2. Navigate to the directory in which you want to create a new virtual directory.
3. Click Add New Virtual Directory.
4. Specify the required parameters:
   • Name - specify the virtual directory name.
   • Path - specify the virtual directory path:

     Select the Create physical directory with the same name as virtual directory checkbox to automatically create a physical directory with the same name as the virtual directory you are creating.

     Clear the Create physical directory with the same name as virtual directory checkbox and specify the path in the field to select the physical directory that already exists.

   • Script source access - select this checkbox to allow users to access source code if either Read or Write permissions are set. Source code includes scripts in ASP applications.
   • Read permission - select this checkbox to allow users to read files or directories and their associated properties.
   • Write permission - select this checkbox to allow users to upload files and their associated properties to the virutal directory or to change content in a write-enabled file. Write access is allowed only if browser supports the PUT feature of the HTTP 1.1 protocol.
   • Directory browsing - select this checkbox to allow users to see a hypertext listing of the files and subdirectories in the virtual directory.
   • Log visits - select this checkbox if you want to store the information about visits of the virtual directory.
   • Create application - select this checkbox to make the web directory an IIS Application. The directory becomes logically independent from the rest of the web-site.
   • Execute permissions - select the appropriate program execution level allowed for the virtual directory.

     None - allow access only to static files such as HTML or image files.

     Scripts only - allow running scripts only, not executables.

     Scripts and Executables - remove all restrictions so that all file types can be executed.

5. Click OK to complete the creation.

Note. You can also create a new physical directory using this feature. In the procedure described above, instead of clicking Add New Virtual Directory, click Add New Directory, specify the name of the directory and click OK.

To change preferences of an existing virtual directory on a domain:

1. Click Web Directories on your Home page.
2. Find the directory which preferences you wish to change, and click .
3. Click Preferences.
4. Change the preferences of the virtual directory:
   • Name - specify virtual directory name.
   • Path - specify the path to the physical directory which virtual directory is linked to.
   • Script source access - select this checkbox to allow users to access source code if either Read or Write permissions are set. Source code includes scripts in ASP applications.
   • Read permission - select this checkbox to allow users to read files or directories and their associated properties.
   • Write permission - select this checkbox to allow users to upload files and their associated properties to the virutal directory or to change content in a write-enabled file. Write access is allowed only if browser supports the PUT feature of the HTTP 1.1 protocol.
   • Directory browsing - select this checkbox to allow users to see a hypertext listing of the files and subdirectories in the virtual directory.
   • Log visits - select this checkbox if you want to store the information about visits of the virtual directory.
   • Create application - select this checkbox to make the web directory an IIS Application. The directory becomes logically independent from the rest of the web-site.
   • Execute permissions - select the appropriate program execution level allowed for the virtual directory.

     None - allow access only to static files such as HTML or image files.

     Scripts only - allow running scripts only, not executables.

     Scripts and Executables - remove all restrictions so that all file types can be executed.

   • Enable parent paths - select this checkbox to allow using double period in the pathname when referring to a folder above the current web directory. This makes users able to move up the folder tree without knowing the folder name or the whereabouts in the hierarchy. If the option is selected, parent path directories should not have the Execute permission checkbox selected in their preferences, so that applications do not have the ability of unauthorized running of programs in the parent paths.
   • Enable to run in MTA - select this checkbox to allow the application execution in multi-threaded apartment (MTA) mode. Otherwise the application will run in a single-threaded apartment (STA) mode. Using STA, each application pool is executed in a dedicated process. With MTA, several concurrent application pools are executed in one thread which can increase performance in some cases.
   • Enable default content page - select this checkbox to allow the use of default documents for the current web directory. The default document is sent when users access the directory on the Web without a specific file name (e.g. using 'http://www.swsoft.com' as opposed to 'http://www.swsoft.com/index.html'). If this checkbox is cleared and the Directory browsing checkbox is selected, the Web server returns a folder listing. If this checkbox is cleared and the Directory browsing checkbox is cleared as well, the Web server returns an "Access Forbidden" error message.
   • Default documents search order - specifies the order in which IIS searches for the default document, sending user the first available file it finds. If no match is found, IIS behaves as in the cases when the default content page is disabled.
   • Enable anonymous access - select this checkbox if you want to make the directory public so that web users could access it without authentication.
   • Require SSL - select this checkbox to enable SSL-only access to the folder.
5. Click OK to save changes.

To remove an existing virtual directory:

1. Click Web Directories on your Home page.
2. Select the checkbox corresponding to the directory you wish to remove.
3. Click Remove Selected.
4. Confirm the removal and click OK.

To open a directory in your browser, click .

To manage permissions for a directory, click . Refer to Managing Access Permissions for Files and Folders section for more information.