How To: Rename or Alias a SecureAuth Realm in IIS

Version Affected: All

 

Overview

This article explains two ways to give a SecureAuth Identity Platform realm a custom, more memorable name in its URL, instead of the default SecureAuth# naming pattern that Internet Information Services (IIS) assigns when the realm is created.

This can be done in one of two ways:

• Use Method 1 if you want to add an alternate URL for the realm without changing its original SecureAuth# name — the original address keeps working alongside the new one.
• Use Method 2 if you want to fully rename the realm's IIS Application itself, replacing the original SecureAuth# name entirely.

In this article

• Method 1: Add an IIS Alias
• Method 2: Rename the Realm's IIS Application

Method 1: Add an IIS Alias

This method adds a second, alternate name for the realm in IIS without changing the realm's original SecureAuth# name — use it when you want an easier-to-read URL but do not need to remove the original one.

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. In the left-hand panel, expand the directory under your machine's name, then expand Sites and Default Web Site.
3. Right-click Default Web Site and click Add Application.
4. In the Alias field, enter the name you want to use. It will appear in the URL as https://YourWebsite.com/Alias, as an alternative to https://YourWebsite.com/SecureAuth#.
5. Under Application pool, click Select, choose .NET v4.5 from the drop-down menu, and click OK.
6. In Physical path, browse to the SecureAuth realm folder you want to alias.
7. Click OK.

The new alias appears as its own entry under Default Web Site and can be used to access the realm through the alternate URL. The original SecureAuth# address continues to work as well.

Method 2: Rename the Realm's IIS Application

This method changes the realm's actual IIS Application name, so only the new name works afterward — use it when you want a single, clean URL rather than an alias alongside the original.

1. Open a command prompt with elevated user rights (Run as administrator).

2. Back up the current IIS configuration:
    

   %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "PreRenameBackup"

3. Rename the realm:
    

   %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set app "Default Web Site/OriginalAppName" -path:/NewAppName

   Replace OriginalAppName with the realm's current name (for example, SecureAuth3), and NewAppName with the name you want to use.

4. Repeat the previous step for each realm you want to rename.

5. Restart the World Wide Web Publishing Service:
    

   iisreset

Special Considerations

Once a realm's name is changed, its previous name (for example, SecureAuth3) is no longer available. Confirm a migration plan is in place — update any bookmarks, integrations, or configuration that reference the old name — before renaming a realm that is in active use.

If an error occurs during the rename, restore the pre-rename backup from an elevated command prompt and restart IIS:

%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe restore backup "PreRenameBackup"

SecureAuth Knowledge Base Articles provide information based on specific use cases and may not apply to all appliances or configurations. Be advised that these instructions could cause harm to the environment if not followed correctly or if they do not apply to the current use case.

Customers are responsible for their own due diligence prior to utilizing this information and agree that SecureAuth is not liable for any issues caused by misconfiguration directly or indirectly related to SecureAuth products.