Learning Windows Server 2003

Deployment Models

Some of the most attractive features of .NET are the deployment options. Microsoft has realized the hectic nature of application deployment and provided several simple standards.

XCopy Deployment

Remember the DOS days when you could transfer applications from computer to computer via a simple XCOPY command? Well, those days are back. Several features make this possible:

• You no longer have to register DLLs (or assemblies) on the system to use them. You can include private assemblies within the application’s folder structure.

• Registry access is discouraged. Because of the variety of deployment options and the limited permission set granted to code, in some situations registry access is even prohibited. You can store configuration information and settings in XML files within the application’s folder structure.

• The runtime monitors web application files for changes. When changes are made, they are reflected live in the application.

XCOPY deployment does not require that you use the XCOPY utility. You should use Windows Explorer, FTP, batch files, or whatever suits you best. The concept to digest here is that .NET applications have broken many of the system-level dependencies present in application builds on previous technology.

Occasionally, you’ll have to take additional actions to configure the system for an application. This is needed when the application requires system-level environment changes. This can include actions such as creating a performance counter or ...