FTP Authentication <authentication>

Overview

The <authentication> element specifies the authentication settings for FTP sites. The authentication settings are configured at the site-level only, although FTP <authorization> settings can be configured per URL.

There are four different forms of authentication that can be configured for an FTP site:

  • Anonymous authentication: This form of authentication allows access to an FTP site without a user account on your server or domain, and is most often used for public FTP sites. Typically, users will log in by using a user name of ftp or anonymous, and most users will use their e-mail address as a password, although this is not required.

  • Basic authentication: This form of authentication requires a valid user account on your server or domain before users can log in.

    Note: Due to the design of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), user names and passwords are transmitted over FTP in plain text, making them vulnerable to network discovery. It is therefore recommended that you use Basic authentication with SSL.

  • Client Certificate authentication: This form of authentication uses client certificates to authenticate FTP clients.

  • Custom authentication: This form of authentication uses custom authentication providers to validate user names and passwords. FTP 7.0 and FTP 7.5 ship with two custom authentication providers:

    The main advantage of using custom authentication providers is that user accounts do not have to be created on your server or domain. This improves your network's security.

Compatibility

Version Notes
IIS 10.0 The <authentication> element was not modified in IIS 10.0.
IIS 8.5 The <authentication> element was not modified in IIS 8.5.
IIS 8.0 The <authentication> element was not modified in IIS 8.0.
IIS 7.5 The <authentication> element of the <security> element ships as a feature of IIS 7.5.
IIS 7.0 The <authentication> element of the <security> element was introduced in FTP 7.0, which was a separate download for IIS 7.0.
IIS 6.0 The <ftpServer> element and its child elements replace the IIS 6.0 FTP settings that were located in the LM/MSFTPSVC metabase path.

Note

The FTP 7.0 and FTP 7.5 services shipped out-of-band for IIS 7.0, which required downloading and installing the modules from the following URL:

https://www.iis.net/expand/FTP

With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, the FTP 7.5 service ships as a feature for IIS 7.5, so downloading the FTP service is no longer necessary.

Setup

To support FTP publishing for your Web server, you must install the FTP service. To do so, use the following steps.

Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2

  1. On the taskbar, click Server Manager.

  2. In Server Manager, click the Manage menu, and then click Add Roles and Features.

  3. In the Add Roles and Features wizard, click Next. Select the installation type and click Next. Select the destination server and click Next.

  4. On the Server Roles page, expand Web Server (IIS), and then select FTP Server.

    Note

    To support ASP.Membership authentication or IIS Manager authentication for the FTP service, you will need to select FTP Extensibility, in addition to FTP Service.
    Image of Server Roles page in the Add Roles and Features Wizard with Web Server I I S pane expanded and F T P Extensibility selected. .

  5. Click Next, and then on the Select features page, click Next again.

  6. On the Confirm installation selections page, click Install.

  7. On the Results page, click Close.

Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

  1. On the Start screen, move the pointer all the way to the lower left corner, right-click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.

  2. In Control Panel, click Programs and Features, and then click Turn Windows features on or off.

  3. Expand Internet Information Services, and then select FTP Server.

    Note

    To support ASP.Membership authentication or IIS Manager authentication for the FTP service, you will also need to select FTP Extensibility.
    Image of Internet Information Services and F T P Server pane expanded and F T P Extensibility selected.

  4. Click OK.

  5. Click Close.

Windows Server 2008 R2

  1. On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  2. In the Server Manager hierarchy pane, expand Roles, and then click Web Server (IIS).

  3. In the Web Server (IIS) pane, scroll to the Role Services section, and then click Add Role Services.

  4. On the Select Role Services page of the Add Role Services Wizard, expand FTP Server.

  5. Select FTP Service.

    Note

    To support ASP.Membership authentication or IIS Manager authentication for the FTP service, you will also need to select FTP Extensibility.
    Screenshot of Select Role Services in Add Role Services Wizard with F T P Server pane expanded and F T P Service highlighted.

  6. Click Next.

  7. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click Install.

  8. On the Results page, click Close.

Windows 7

  1. On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.

  2. In Control Panel, click Programs and Features, and then click Turn Windows Features on or off.

  3. Expand Internet Information Services, and then FTP Server.

  4. Select FTP Service.

    Note

    To support ASP.Membership authentication or IIS Manager authentication for the FTP service, you will also need to select FTP Extensibility.
    Screenshot of Internet Information Services and F T P Server pane expanded and F T P Extensibility selected.

  5. Click OK.

Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista

  1. Download the installation package from the following URL:

  2. Follow the instructions in the following walkthrough to install the FTP service:

How To

How to enable or disable Anonymous authentication for an FTP site

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand the Sites node, and then click the name of the site.

  3. In the site's Home pane, double-click the FTP Authentication feature.

  4. On the FTP Authentication page, select Anonymous Authentication.

  5. In the Actions pane, click Enable to enable Anonymous authentication or click Disable to disable Anonymous authentication.
    Image of F T P Authentication page showing Anonymous Authentication option selected.


How to use the FTP Site Wizard to Create an FTP Site with Anonymous Read Access

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
  2. In the Connections pane, click the Sites node in the tree.

  3. Right-click the Sites node in the tree and click Add FTP Site, or click Add FTP Site in the Actions pane.

  4. When the Add FTP Site wizard appears:

    • Enter "My New FTP Site" in the FTP site name box.

    • For the Physical path box, you can use one of the following options to specify your content directory:

      • Click the ellipsis (...) button, and then navigate to the folder that contains the content for your FTP site.
      • Type in the path to your content folder in the box. Note that if you choose to type the path, you can use environment variables in your paths. For example, you can use "%SystemDrive%\inetpub\ftproot" for your content directory.
    • When you have completed these items, click Next.
      Image of Site Information in Add F T P Site Wizard displaying My New F T P Site typed in the F T P site name field.

  5. On the second page of the Add FTP Site wizard:

    • Choose an IP address for your FTP site from the IP Address drop-down, or choose to accept the default selection of "All Unassigned."

    • Enter the TCP/IP port for the FTP site in the Port box. By default, FTP sites and clients use port 21. (Note: To specify Implicit FTPS, you need to use port 990.)

    • To use an FTP virtual host name, select the box for Enable Virtual Host Names, then enter the virtual host name in the Virtual Host box.

    • For the SSL options, choose one of the following options:

      • Select No SSL to disable the SSL options.
      • Select Allow SSL to allow FTP clients to optionally use FTP over SSL when they connect with the FTP server.
      • Select Require SSL to allow FTP clients to always use FTP over SSL when they connect with the FTP server.
      • If you choose Allow SSL or Require SSL, choose a certificate from the SSL Certificate drop-down menu.
    • When you have completed these items, click Next.
      Image of Binding and S S L Settings in Add F T P Site Wizard showing I P Address chosen from drop down list.

  6. On the next page of the wizard:

    • Select Anonymous for the Authentication settings.
    • For the Authorization settings, choose "Anonymous users" from the Allow access to drop-down.
    • Select Read for the Permissions option.
    • When you have completed these items, click Finish.
      Image of Authentication and Authorization settings in Add F T P Wizard with Anonymous option selected.

How to enable or disable Basic authentication for an FTP site

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand the Sites node, and then click the name of the site.

  3. In the site's Home pane, double-click the FTP Authentication feature.

  4. On the FTP Authentication page, select Basic Authentication.
    Image of F T P Authentication displaying Basic Authentication selected.

  5. In the Actions pane, click Enable to enable Basic authentication or click Disable to disable Basic authentication.


How to use the FTP Site Wizard to Create an FTP Site with Basic authentication and Read/Write Access

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
  2. In the Connections pane, click the Sites node in the tree.

  3. Right-click the Sites node in the tree and click Add FTP Site, or click Add FTP Site in the Actions pane.

  4. When the Add FTP Site wizard appears:

    • Enter "My New FTP Site" in the FTP site name box.

    • For the Physical path box, you can use one of the following options to specify your content directory:

      • Click the ellipsis (...) button, and then navigate to the folder that contains the content for your FTP site.
      • Type in the path to your content folder in the box. Note that if you choose to type the path, you can use environment variables in your paths. For example, you can use "%SystemDrive%\inetpub\ftproot" for your content directory.
    • When you have completed these items, click Next.
      Screenshot of Site Information in Add F T P Site Wizard displaying My New F T P Site typed in the F T P site name box.

  5. On the second page of the Add FTP Site wizard:

    • Choose an IP address for your FTP site from the IP Address drop-down, or choose to accept the default selection of "All Unassigned."

    • Enter the TCP/IP port for the FTP site in the Port box. By default, FTP sites and clients use port 21. (Note: To specify Implicit FTPS, you need to use port 990.)

    • To use an FTP virtual host name, select the box for Enable Virtual Host Names, then enter the virtual host name in the Virtual Host box.

    • For the SSL options, choose one of the following options:

      • Select No SSL to disable the SSL options.
      • Select Allow SSL to allow FTP clients to optionally use FTP over SSL when they connect with the FTP server.
      • Select Require SSL to allow FTP clients to always use FTP over SSL when they connect with the FTP server.
      • If you choose Allow SSL or Require SSL, choose a certificate from the SSL Certificate drop-down menu.
    • When you have completed these items, click Next.
      Screenshot of Binding and S S L Settings page in Add F T P Site Wizard showing I P Address chosen from the drop down menu.

  6. On the next page of the wizard:

    • Select Basic for the Authentication settings.
    • For the Authorization settings, choose "Specified users" from the Allow access to drop-down, and enter an account name in the box below the drop-down menu.
    • Select Read and Write for the Permissions option.
    • When you have completed these items, click Finish.
      Screenshot of Authentication and Authorization Settings in Add F T P Site Wizard showing Basic option selected for Authentication.

Configuration

The <authentication> element is configured at the site level.

Attributes

None.

Child Elements

Element Description
anonymousAuthentication Optional element.

Specifies the Anonymous authentication settings for an FTP site.
basicAuthentication Optional element.

Specifies the Basic authentication settings for an FTP site.
clientCertAuthentication Optional element.

Specifies the Client Certificate authentication settings for an FTP site.
customAuthentication Optional element.

Specifies the Custom authentication settings for an FTP site.

Note: Custom authentication is implemented through custom authentication providers.

Configuration Sample

The following sample illustrates several configuration settings in the <ftpServer> element for an FTP site. More specifically, the <site> settings in this example demonstrate how to:

  • Create an FTP site and add the binding for the FTP protocol on port 21.
  • Configure the FTP SSL options to allow secure access on both the control and data channel using a certificate.
  • Disable Anonymous authentication and enable Basic authentication for FTP.
  • Deny access for FTP SYST command.
  • Specify the UNIX directory listing format.
  • Configure the logging options.
  • Specify a customized welcome message and enable local detailed error messages.
  • Specify that users will start in a home directory that is based on their login name, but only if that directory exists.
<site name="ftp.example.com" id="5">
  <application path="/">
    <virtualDirectory path="/" physicalPath="c:\inetpub\www.example.com" />
  </application>
  <bindings>
    <binding protocol="ftp" bindingInformation="*:21:" />
  </bindings>
  <ftpServer>
    <security>
      <ssl controlChannelPolicy="SslAllow"
         dataChannelPolicy="SslAllow"
         serverCertHash="57686f6120447564652c2049495320526f636b73" />
      <authentication>
        <basicAuthentication enabled="true" />
        <anonymousAuthentication enabled="false" />
      </authentication>
      <commandFiltering maxCommandLine="4096" allowUnlisted="true">
        <add command="SYST" allowed="false" />
      </commandFiltering>
    </security>
    <directoryBrowse showFlags="StyleUnix" />
    <logFile logExtFileFlags="Date, Time, ClientIP, UserName, ServerIP, Method, UriStem, FtpStatus, Win32Status, ServerPort, FtpSubStatus, Session, FullPath, Info" />
    <messages expandVariables="true"
       greetingMessage="Welcome %UserName%!"
       allowLocalDetailedErrors="true" />
    <userIsolation mode="StartInUsersDirectory" />
  </ftpServer>
</site>

Sample Code

The following examples disable Anonymous authentication for an FTP site.

AppCmd.exe

appcmd.exe set config -section:system.applicationHost/sites /[name='ftp.example.com'].ftpServer.security.authentication.anonymousAuthentication.enabled:"False" /commit:apphost

Note

You must be sure to set the commit parameter to apphost when you use AppCmd.exe to configure these settings. This commits the configuration settings to the appropriate location section in the ApplicationHost.config file.

C#

using System;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Web.Administration;

internal static class Sample
{
   private static void Main()
   {
      using (ServerManager serverManager = new ServerManager())
      {
         Configuration config = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration();
         ConfigurationSection sitesSection = config.GetSection("system.applicationHost/sites");
         ConfigurationElementCollection sitesCollection = sitesSection.GetCollection();

         ConfigurationElement siteElement = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", "name", @"ftp.example.com");
         if (siteElement == null) throw new InvalidOperationException("Element not found!");

         ConfigurationElement ftpServerElement = siteElement.GetChildElement("ftpServer");
         ConfigurationElement securityElement = ftpServerElement.GetChildElement("security");
         ConfigurationElement authenticationElement = securityElement.GetChildElement("authentication");
         ConfigurationElement anonymousAuthenticationElement = authenticationElement.GetChildElement("anonymousAuthentication");
         anonymousAuthenticationElement["enabled"] = false;

         serverManager.CommitChanges();
      }
   }

   private static ConfigurationElement FindElement(ConfigurationElementCollection collection, string elementTagName, params string[] keyValues)
   {
      foreach (ConfigurationElement element in collection)
      {
         if (String.Equals(element.ElementTagName, elementTagName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
         {
            bool matches = true;
            for (int i = 0; i < keyValues.Length; i += 2)
            {
               object o = element.GetAttributeValue(keyValues[i]);
               string value = null;
               if (o != null)
               {
                  value = o.ToString();
               }
               if (!String.Equals(value, keyValues[i + 1], StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
               {
                  matches = false;
                  break;
               }
            }
            if (matches)
            {
               return element;
            }
         }
      }
      return null;
   }
}

VB.NET

Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports Microsoft.Web.Administration

Module Sample
   Sub Main()
      Dim serverManager As ServerManager = New ServerManager
      Dim config As Configuration = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration
      Dim sitesSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.applicationHost/sites")
      Dim sitesCollection As ConfigurationElementCollection = sitesSection.GetCollection

      Dim siteElement As ConfigurationElement = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", "name", "ftp.example.com")
      If (siteElement Is Nothing) Then
         Throw New InvalidOperationException("Element not found!")
      End If

      Dim ftpServerElement As ConfigurationElement = siteElement.GetChildElement("ftpServer")
      Dim securityElement As ConfigurationElement = ftpServerElement.GetChildElement("security")
      Dim authenticationElement As ConfigurationElement = securityElement.GetChildElement("authentication")
      Dim anonymousAuthenticationElement As ConfigurationElement = authenticationElement.GetChildElement("anonymousAuthentication")
      anonymousAuthenticationElement("enabled") = False

      serverManager.CommitChanges()
   End Sub

   Private Function FindElement(ByVal collection As ConfigurationElementCollection, ByVal elementTagName As String, ByVal ParamArray keyValues() As String) As ConfigurationElement
      For Each element As ConfigurationElement In collection
         If String.Equals(element.ElementTagName, elementTagName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) Then
            Dim matches As Boolean = True
            Dim i As Integer
            For i = 0 To keyValues.Length - 1 Step 2
               Dim o As Object = element.GetAttributeValue(keyValues(i))
               Dim value As String = Nothing
               If (Not (o) Is Nothing) Then
                  value = o.ToString
               End If
               If Not String.Equals(value, keyValues((i + 1)), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) Then
                  matches = False
                  Exit For
               End If
            Next
            If matches Then
               Return element
            End If
         End If
      Next
      Return Nothing
   End Function


End Module

JavaScript

var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";
var sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST");
var sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection;

var siteElementPos = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", ["name", "ftp.example.com"]);
if (siteElementPos == -1) throw "Element not found!";
var siteElement = sitesCollection.Item(siteElementPos);

var ftpServerElement = siteElement.ChildElements.Item("ftpServer");
var securityElement = ftpServerElement.ChildElements.Item("security");
var authenticationElement = securityElement.ChildElements.Item("authentication");
var anonymousAuthenticationElement = authenticationElement.ChildElements.Item("anonymousAuthentication");
anonymousAuthenticationElement.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = false;

adminManager.CommitChanges();

function FindElement(collection, elementTagName, valuesToMatch) {
   for (var i = 0; i < collection.Count; i++) {
      var element = collection.Item(i);
      if (element.Name == elementTagName) {
         var matches = true;
         for (var iVal = 0; iVal < valuesToMatch.length; iVal += 2) {
            var property = element.GetPropertyByName(valuesToMatch[iVal]);
            var value = property.Value;
            if (value != null) {
               value = value.toString();
            }
            if (value != valuesToMatch[iVal + 1]) {
               matches = false;
               break;
            }
         }
         if (matches) {
            return i;
         }
      }
   }
   return -1;
}

VBScript

Set adminManager = createObject("Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager")
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST"
Set sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST")
Set sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection

siteElementPos = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", Array("name", "ftp.example.com"))
If siteElementPos = -1 Then
WScript.Echo "Element not found!"
WScript.Quit
End If
Set siteElement = sitesCollection.Item(siteElementPos)

Set ftpServerElement = siteElement.ChildElements.Item("ftpServer")
Set securityElement = ftpServerElement.ChildElements.Item("security")
Set authenticationElement = securityElement.ChildElements.Item("authentication")
Set anonymousAuthenticationElement = authenticationElement.ChildElements.Item("anonymousAuthentication")
anonymousAuthenticationElement.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = False

adminManager.CommitChanges()

Function FindElement(collection, elementTagName, valuesToMatch)
   For i = 0 To CInt(collection.Count) - 1
      Set element = collection.Item(i)
      If element.Name = elementTagName Then
         matches = True
         For iVal = 0 To UBound(valuesToMatch) Step 2
            Set property = element.GetPropertyByName(valuesToMatch(iVal))
            value = property.Value
            If Not IsNull(value) Then
               value = CStr(value)
            End If
            If Not value = CStr(valuesToMatch(iVal + 1)) Then
               matches = False
               Exit For
            End If
         Next
         If matches Then
            Exit For
         End If
      End If
   Next
   If matches Then
      FindElement = i
   Else
      FindElement = -1
   End If
End Function

The following examples disable Basic authentication for an FTP site.

AppCmd.exe

appcmd.exe set config -section:system.applicationHost/sites /[name='ftp.example.com'].ftpServer.security.authentication.basicAuthentication.enabled:"False" /commit:apphost

Note

You must be sure to set the commit parameter to apphost when you use AppCmd.exe to configure these settings. This commits the configuration settings to the appropriate location section in the ApplicationHost.config file.

C#

using System;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Web.Administration;

internal static class Sample
{
   private static void Main()
   {
      using (ServerManager serverManager = new ServerManager())
      {
         Configuration config = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration();
         ConfigurationSection sitesSection = config.GetSection("system.applicationHost/sites");
         ConfigurationElementCollection sitesCollection = sitesSection.GetCollection();

         ConfigurationElement siteElement = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", "name", @"ftp.example.com");
         if (siteElement == null) throw new InvalidOperationException("Element not found!");

         ConfigurationElement ftpServerElement = siteElement.GetChildElement("ftpServer");
         ConfigurationElement securityElement = ftpServerElement.GetChildElement("security");
         ConfigurationElement authenticationElement = securityElement.GetChildElement("authentication");
         ConfigurationElement basicAuthenticationElement = authenticationElement.GetChildElement("basicAuthentication");
         basicAuthenticationElement["enabled"] = false;

         serverManager.CommitChanges();
      }
   }

   private static ConfigurationElement FindElement(ConfigurationElementCollection collection, string elementTagName, params string[] keyValues)
   {
      foreach (ConfigurationElement element in collection)
      {
         if (String.Equals(element.ElementTagName, elementTagName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
         {
            bool matches = true;
            for (int i = 0; i < keyValues.Length; i += 2)
            {
               object o = element.GetAttributeValue(keyValues[i]);
               string value = null;
               if (o != null)
               {
                  value = o.ToString();
               }
               if (!String.Equals(value, keyValues[i + 1], StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
               {
                  matches = false;
                  break;
               }
            }
            if (matches)
            {
               return element;
            }
         }
      }
      return null;
   }

}

VB.NET

Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports Microsoft.Web.Administration

Module Sample
   Sub Main()
      Dim serverManager As ServerManager = New ServerManager
      Dim config As Configuration = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration
      Dim sitesSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.applicationHost/sites")
      Dim sitesCollection As ConfigurationElementCollection = sitesSection.GetCollection

      Dim siteElement As ConfigurationElement = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", "name", "ftp.example.com")
      If (siteElement Is Nothing) Then
         Throw New InvalidOperationException("Element not found!")
      End If

      Dim ftpServerElement As ConfigurationElement = siteElement.GetChildElement("ftpServer")
      Dim securityElement As ConfigurationElement = ftpServerElement.GetChildElement("security")
      Dim authenticationElement As ConfigurationElement = securityElement.GetChildElement("authentication")
      Dim basicAuthenticationElement As ConfigurationElement = authenticationElement.GetChildElement("basicAuthentication")
      basicAuthenticationElement("enabled") = False

      serverManager.CommitChanges()
   End Sub

   Private Function FindElement(ByVal collection As ConfigurationElementCollection, ByVal elementTagName As String, ByVal ParamArray keyValues() As String) As ConfigurationElement
      For Each element As ConfigurationElement In collection
         If String.Equals(element.ElementTagName, elementTagName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) Then
            Dim matches As Boolean = True
            Dim i As Integer
            For i = 0 To keyValues.Length - 1 Step 2
               Dim o As Object = element.GetAttributeValue(keyValues(i))
               Dim value As String = Nothing
               If (Not (o) Is Nothing) Then
                  value = o.ToString
               End If
               If Not String.Equals(value, keyValues((i + 1)), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) Then
                  matches = False
                  Exit For
               End If
            Next
            If matches Then
               Return element
            End If
         End If
      Next
      Return Nothing
   End Function


End Module

JavaScript

var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";
var sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST");
var sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection;

var siteElementPos = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", ["name", "ftp.example.com"]);
if (siteElementPos == -1) throw "Element not found!";
var siteElement = sitesCollection.Item(siteElementPos);

var ftpServerElement = siteElement.ChildElements.Item("ftpServer");
var securityElement = ftpServerElement.ChildElements.Item("security");
var authenticationElement = securityElement.ChildElements.Item("authentication");
var basicAuthenticationElement = authenticationElement.ChildElements.Item("basicAuthentication");
basicAuthenticationElement.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = false;

adminManager.CommitChanges();

function FindElement(collection, elementTagName, valuesToMatch) {
   for (var i = 0; i < collection.Count; i++) {
      var element = collection.Item(i);
      if (element.Name == elementTagName) {
         var matches = true;
         for (var iVal = 0; iVal < valuesToMatch.length; iVal += 2) {
            var property = element.GetPropertyByName(valuesToMatch[iVal]);
            var value = property.Value;
            if (value != null) {
               value = value.toString();
            }
            if (value != valuesToMatch[iVal + 1]) {
               matches = false;
               break;
            }
         }
         if (matches) {
            return i;
         }
      }
   }
   return -1;
}

VBScript

Set adminManager = createObject("Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager")
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST"
Set sitesSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.applicationHost/sites", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST")
Set sitesCollection = sitesSection.Collection

siteElementPos = FindElement(sitesCollection, "site", Array("name", "ftp.example.com"))
If siteElementPos = -1 Then
WScript.Echo "Element not found!"
WScript.Quit
End If
Set siteElement = sitesCollection.Item(siteElementPos)

Set ftpServerElement = siteElement.ChildElements.Item("ftpServer")
Set securityElement = ftpServerElement.ChildElements.Item("security")
Set authenticationElement = securityElement.ChildElements.Item("authentication")
Set basicAuthenticationElement = authenticationElement.ChildElements.Item("basicAuthentication")
basicAuthenticationElement.Properties.Item("enabled").Value = False

adminManager.CommitChanges()

Function FindElement(collection, elementTagName, valuesToMatch)
   For i = 0 To CInt(collection.Count) - 1
      Set element = collection.Item(i)
      If element.Name = elementTagName Then
         matches = True
         For iVal = 0 To UBound(valuesToMatch) Step 2
            Set property = element.GetPropertyByName(valuesToMatch(iVal))
            value = property.Value
            If Not IsNull(value) Then
               value = CStr(value)
            End If
            If Not value = CStr(valuesToMatch(iVal + 1)) Then
               matches = False
               Exit For
            End If
         Next
         If matches Then
            Exit For
         End If
      End If
   Next
   If matches Then
      FindElement = i
   Else
      FindElement = -1
   End If
End Function