As I understand it, creating a new web application allows for a new site to be created; simple enough concept; But extending a web application is something like copy what's on the original application but give it a different means to access it. What my thought is first create a web application and have its URL be https://sharepoint.xyz.com and have it be a collaboration type portal. But then extend the web application so it has a new URL of http://www.xyz.com hopefully using the Publishing collection. Is this possible with extending? Or do I have to create a new web application for each site? Ultimately I would like to have two different site types that can also access each other's data and web parts.

Hi AnonymousToday you are correct, and you do not have to create a new web application to do this if all the data is already in one Web App's Content DB. This is what extending an application does. it creates a new IIS web site that points to an existing Web Applications Content DB (the one you extended). this is great for when you need to different types of authentication, access or if you want to use SSL with one site against the content DB and not the other however, your statement:"hopefully using the Publishing collection" is where the work needs to be done. you will need to create a new site in the extended web application with the publishing portal template as you know, but you will also have to configure IIS with the host header of the URL you want to use as well as update DNS record to ensure external users can access the publishibng site. one word of advice - security! SSL, lock down permissions etc. remember, you are letting public customers/partners into the samne data your internal employees are accessing and more than likely relying on.Tony Parker, MSCE . MCTP. MCITP "Anything worth doing, is worth doing right"