The proprietary database format used by InternetInformationServer to store configuration information for web sites, ftp sites, and much more.

The format is similar to the registry, but with special considerations like attribute inheritance added. 

There is a proprietary ComComponent available to manipulate the IisMetaBase, which naturally yields the greatest performance/flexability. However, there is an ActiveDirectoryServicesInterface implementation available that allows you to manipultate almost every aspect (in IIS4.0) and all aspects (in IIS5.0) of the MetaBase.

''ApacheServer has something similar. Its database format for storing configuration data can be manipulated most efficiently with a tool called "vim", but there's also an alternative tool called "Emacs". Both tools allow you to edit '''any''' aspect of the database.''

Do I detect some sarcasm here? ;)
----
IisMetaBase is also used by PersonalWebServer (aka PWS, a scaled down IIS), but
the tools for examining it are poorly documented and obscure.
IisMetaBase is prone to corruption when configuring PWS for CGI scripts. Registry settings for mapping script extensions (e.g., to map .cgi to perl.exe) are cumulative in IisMetaBase. That is, while you're experimenting with getting the poorly documented Registry incantation just right, IisMetaBase holds on to all of your attempts, possibly leaving you in a situation where the only way to get CGIs to work is to uninstall and then reinstall the Option Pack that contains PWS. --DaveSmith

For a start on examining the IisMetaBase (for PWS on NT, at least), try this:
	% cd \winnt\system32\inetsrv\adminsamples
	% cscript adsutil.vbs enum w3svc > metabase.out
You'll get a (complete?) dump of its contents. --DaveSmith
----
See InternetInformationServer