Enabling Shared Configuration in Windows 2022 Server

Shared Configuration in Windows Server primarily refers to the Internet Information Services (IIS) feature that allows multiple web farm servers to synchronize and use a single set of configuration (applicationHost.config and administration.config). In recent days while performing Windows server 2016 to Windows server 2022, We faced issue in IIS Manager was crashing after enabling Shared configuration and had to contact Microsoft support team.

After investigation from and Microsoft support confirmed, they have a bug in windows 2022 server IIS Manager while saving shared configuration.

With help from Microsoft Support Team, We were able to identify the alternate solution to fix the issue.

Following are steps to fix the issue.

1. Add the permissions to MachineKeys under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\

1. Add the below users from local machine

1. Everyone - Read & Execute, List folder contents, Read

2. SYSTEM - All Permissions

3. IIS_IUSRS - Read & Execute, List folder contents, Read

4. USERS - Read & Execute, List folder contents, Read

5. Administrator - All Permissions

Copy the exported IIS-Transfer-Key (which has 2016 RSA Machine Keys) to Windows 2022 Server and keep it in C Drive.

1. Run the following script in Windows 2016 server.

On the 2016 server, Run elevated PowerShell:

$folder = "C:\IIS-Key-Transfer" $aspnet = "$env:windir\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe" New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $folder -Force & $aspnet -px "IisWasKey" "$folder\IisWasKey.xml" -pri & $aspnet -px "IisConfigurationKey" "$folder\IisConfigurationKey.xml" -pri Both must report Succeeded! . Securely transfer those XML files to the 2022 server. On the 2022 server First attempt to import over the temporary containers: $folder = "C:\IIS-Key-Transfer" $aspnet = "$env:windir\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe" & $aspnet -pi "IisWasKey" "$folder\IisWasKey.xml" -exp & $aspnet -pi "IisConfigurationKey" "$folder\IisConfigurationKey.xml" -exp Once you import, you will see the below message. Microsoft (R) ASP.NET Core, an open-source web development framework | .NET RegIIS version 4.0.30319.0 Administration utility to install and uninstall ASP.NET Core, an open-source web development framework | .NET on the local machine. Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Importing RSA Keys from file.. Succeeded! Microsoft (R) ASP.NET Core, an open-source web development framework | .NET RegIIS version 4.0.30319.0 Administration utility to install and uninstall ASP.NET Core, an open-source web development framework | .NET on the local machine. Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Importing RSA Keys from file.. Succeeded!

c. Restart the Windows Process Activation Service and World Wide Web Services.

d. Enable Shared Configuration on the servers.

Give the Path, Service Account, Username, Password and Encryption Password.

This should enable the shared configuration and you should see the sites in the server.