What is SharePoint application pool?

In simple words, an application pool in SharePoint is a container or a separate space that isolates web applications or websites running on a SharePoint server. It provides a dedicated environment for each web application, ensuring that they operate independently and do not interfere with each other.

Think of an application pool as a virtual container that holds multiple SharePoint web applications. Each application pool has its own set of resources, including memory, processor, and security settings. This separation helps enhance the stability, performance, and security of SharePoint sites.

Here are a few key points about application pools in SharePoint:

Isolation

Application pools ensure that if one web application encounters an issue or crashes, it does not affect the other web applications running on the same server. Each application pool operates independently, providing a level of isolation and fault tolerance.

Resource allocation

SharePoint administrators can allocate specific resources, such as memory and processor usage, to each application pool based on the needs of the web applications within it. This helps optimize performance and prevent resource conflicts between different web applications.

Application pool in SharePoint IIS

Security boundaries

Application pools provide security boundaries, meaning that the permissions and access rights of one web application are separate from those of another web application. This helps protect sensitive data and prevents unauthorized access between web applications.

Recycling and management

Application pools can be configured with recycling settings to automatically refresh resources or recycle the pool after a certain period or specific event. This helps maintain stability and performance by preventing resource exhaustion.

Configuration and monitoring

SharePoint administrators can configure various settings for each application pool, such as authentication methods, timeouts, and logging. They can also monitor the performance and health of application pools to identify any issues or bottlenecks.

Overall, application pools in SharePoint provide a way to manage and separate different web applications running on the same server, ensuring stability, performance, security, and efficient resource allocation.