Exploiting Windows Server 2003
In early October we did a series of “ISV Essentials” - i.e. an event targeting Independent Software Vendors. One of the topics I presented on was on Windows Server 2003. The focus was really on leveraging the operating system beyond the traditional usage. So for example when I asked how many are using features like ASP.NET, IIS, COM+ etc many hands popped up. So the focus was not these areas.
Instead there are many areas of Windows Server that many developers don’t take advantage of – or might not even know that they exist. Now I know that adopting new technology is not always the easiest but often you might find that these operating system features are services that developers generally write themselves. A case in point – Windows Server ships a technology called Authorization Manager. This is a tool that you can use for role based authorization for task based work e.g. approving an expense claim. Most of the security features in Windows tend to be resource based (e.g. some kind of ACL on file share).
Now many developers will probably end up writing this layer. In fact this is one of the reasons we make available an Authorization and Profile Application Block (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnpag/html/authpro.asp - side note - this block uses Authorization Manager as a store but also support SQL Server). Authorization Manager has nice functionality whereby you can script your business rules (in VBScript) and you can also have dynamic LDAP groups. For more information on AuthMan check out http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/03/11/AuthorizationManager/
There are many other technologies that ship in Windows Server (or maybe as some kind of addon) that falls into this same category. The most obvious one is Windows Sharepoint Services WSS). Once again not many developers know that WSS is part of the OS (note that Sharepoint Portal Server is still a product but it builds on top of WSS). So right out of the box you have a collaboration platform.
Other technologies include Digital Rights Management, UDDI, MSMQ, Active Directory, Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) and Web Services Enhancements Kit (although it technically it does not part of the OS). One other really important one is WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) that you can use to instrument your apps and even better make a MOM Management Pack available (not that difficult). I might blog on this at some other time. When I asked the audience I mentioned above how many use these technologies very few hands came up
If you are leveraging these “extended” features of the OS – especially if you are building a product (i.e. you are an ISV) I would be keen to hear about what you are doing