Install IIS Base Components on SCCM Distribution Point

This post shows the steps to install IIS base components on SCCM distribution point. I must also say it helps you fix the error “Failed to create virtual directory” on distribution point.

When you install SCCM distribution point role, sometimes it doesn’t install well. Today when I was installing distribution point role on a remote server I experienced an error.

Listed below are the troubleshooting steps that helps you to fix the issue.

Error – Failed to create virtual directory on the defined share or volume on distribution point.

Possible cause: Distribution Manager requires that IIS base components be installed on the local Configuration Manager Site Server in order to create the virtual directory. Distribution Manager also requires that IIS Web Services be installed on the Distribution Point Server that needs to support Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS).

Solution: Verify IIS base components installed on the local Configuration Manager Site Server, IIS Web Services installed on the Distribution Point Server.

Distribution Point Prerequisites

Before you proceed, here are the SCCM DP prerequisites.

• Remote Differential Compression
• IIS Configuration
• Application Development: ISAPI Extensions
• Security: Windows Authentication
• IIS 6 Management Compatibility: IIS 6 Metabase and IIS 6 WMI Compatibility.

Install IIS Base Components on SCCM Distribution Point

Troubleshooting :-

1. If you are looking to install the missing IIS base components, then you can use the below command. Run the PowerShell as administrator and copy the below command and run it. This will install the IIS components required for setting up distribution point. For me running the below command fixed the issue. Without any reboot the DP status changed to green (healthy).

dism.exe /online /norestart /enable-feature /ignorecheck /featurename:"IIS-WebServerRole" /featurename:"IIS-WebServer" /featurename:"IIS-CommonHttpFeatures" /featurename:"IIS-StaticContent" /featurename:"IIS-DefaultDocument" /featurename:"IIS-DirectoryBrowsing" /featurename:"IIS-HttpErrors" /featurename:"IIS-HttpRedirect" /featurename:"IIS-WebServerManagementTools" /featurename:"IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility" /featurename:"IIS-Metabase" /featurename:"IIS-WindowsAuthentication" /featurename:"IIS-WMICompatibility" /featurename:"IIS-ISAPIExtensions" /featurename:"IIS-ManagementScriptingTools" /featurename:"MSRDC-Infrastructure" /featurename:"IIS-ManagementService"

2. Reboot the distribution point server and then try distributing the content again. However before the content is distributed, check the distribution point status. Click on Monitoring and click Distribution Point Configuration Status. Click the distribution point server and you should see status of server as green.

3. Finally check the message to see IIS configuration is successful. Check the message to see the content is distributed to the distribution point. Also here is a good link to verify successful DP installation.