14 DAY TRIAL // With the Web Deployment Tool, web developers working with Internet Information Services have a resource capable of streamlining processes of migration, management and deployment associated not only with IIS web servers, but also with Internet applications and even entire websites. The tool is now up to Release Candidate stage and is available for download since the first quarter of 2009. Microsoft is offering both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of the Web Deployment Tool, which are designed to integrate with IIS 5.1, IIS 6, IIS 7.
Featuring the RC1 label, Microsoft has deemed the tool ready for production environments. Still, the Redmond company recommends that customers test the release and that systems should be backed up ahead of the test driving phase. As of March 2009, the Web Deployment Tool has been integrated with the software giant's Web Platform Installer. In this context, testers are free to access the bits both through the direct download links and via the latest iteration of the Web Platform Installer, namely version 2.0 Beta.
Following the integration with the Web Platform Installer, the Web Deployment Tool can be leveraged for application installs involving both open-source and third-party web apps such as DotNetNuke and WordPress on a test computer, while making sure that all dependencies are in place including IIS, ASP.NET, PHP, etc. Essentially complete websites can be packaged with the utility. The Web Deployment Tool will allow developers to include a variety of items from content, to configuration and settings, to certificates and even databases.
Of course that not just packaging, but also deployment of web applications is supported. At the same time, the application packages can be used for administrative tasks, versioning, backup and deployment, while synchronizing IIS 6.0 and IIS 7.0, or for the migration process from IIS 6.0 to IIS 7.0.
Web Deployment Tool - RC1 - x86 is available for download here. Web Deployment Tool - RC1 - x64 is available for download here.
Web Platform Installer 2.0 Beta is available for download here.