MVC3 structure in IIS

Question

I am making several web applications. What I want to do here is:

1. Applications should stand alone in IIS using differnt application pool.

2. There is one main application used solo as front page, allowing log in/out and navigate users to other applications.

3. I want other applications to use the layout of the main application.

The structure I was thinking was to deploy the main application under root folder of the website and host other applications under it in seperate folder (seperate application and pool). Something like:

IIS
  |
  |__Main app (web site)
        |
        |__App1
        |
        |__App2

However, I just got confused here:

1. How can I reuse the layout/dll acorss apps/pools without copying them into each application (Maybe it's a silly question)

2. How can I use MVC3 controller/action feature instead of directly using hard coded <a/> to navigate users to each application. I actually tried it. Looks like the Main app (MVC3) can only recognize controller and view in it's own project.

In summary, what I try to do is: Deploying my applications in the tree sturcture above and let the main app bring views from sub apps and display in main app's frame.

Maybe it's not a good practise, but any suggetion is welcomed!!!

Thanks a lot

Answer 1

It really sounds like you would want to make use of Areas in MVC. This wouldn't allow you to run the nested "applications" in their own App Pool, but it would accomplish everything else you are looking to do (shared layouts, dlls, Html.ActionLink, roles based access to each Area, etc). You can easily share top level navigation across all Areas and have different sub navigation for each. I have a 2 part blog post about using a single layout that is shared across Areas that might give you some help (or ideas).

Single Layout for Areas with ASPX and Razor views (Part 1) - Using the ASPX View Engine

Single Layout for Areas with ASPX and Razor views (Part 2) - Using the Razor View Engine

If you felt that having sub apps in Areas in a single project was too rigid you could also look into using MvcContrib to make your sub apps in Portable Areas and then consume them in your top level app.