What steps do I need to perform to host a ASP.NET web service publicly?

I am really a programmer and new to web development field. I am tasked with creating a web service which must be publicly hosted (on internet) and which one of your application will use when needed.

I have developed the web service (using ASP.NET/WCF) and have tested it by hosting it on one of the server in INTRANET. The service uses a database which MUST be installed in organisation intranet only (some sensitive data). I am now confused as how to proceed to host it on internet. Please can you guide about the steps I need to perform?

From serverfault Hemant

• If it's been tested and you're happy with it working then you need to work with your security folk to have connections to it allowed through the firewall on HTTP / HTTPS.

  If you're doubling as the security folk, then what I would recommend is to put it in a DMZ off of your firewall, keeping the database server inside the firewall. You would then need to create an incoming path for the database connections from your DMZ web server (that hosts the web service) through the internal interface of the firewall to your db server.

  If you post more details regarding the technologies you're using (MySQL / MS SQL, are you the security person, etc) then more details can be provided on how to implement this.

  Hemant : I am using SQL Server 2008 Express edition as database server. I am not a security person or network administrator so honestly, I didnt understand the term DMZ. Please can you elaborate a bit?

  Hemant : Oh! and thanks for the earlier answer :)

  squillman : Ok, no problem. Can you please edit your question to include a little more information regarding your network setup? What are you using for a firewall? Will you be the one making the configuration change to allow access to the web service?
  From squillman

• If you have successfully tested it on the intranet of your organisation then to expose it to the internet is relatively straight forward, you just need host the application on a publicy accessible server.

  It is common to have publicly accessible site use a database back end which is hosted securely inside hte organisations firewall and have only the application access this database through a secure channel, therefore exposing as little as possible.

  So basically to expose an application on the internet, all you need to is deploy it on an Internet accessible server, the same way as you hav done on the internet. Obviously as this is now available to all you need to make sure your site is secure and not going to expose the database to attack.

  From Sam Cogan