There are two major changes that stand out in a web-hosting environment. The first is the inclusion of the .Net Framework, and the second is an update to Microsoft’s web server, Internet Information Server 5.0 (IIS 5.0), to version 6.0. The .Net Framework is an entirely new software development platform which will dramatically change the way applications are developed and hosted. IIS 6.0 was re-architected from the ground up with performance, security, and stability in mind. There are literally thousands of other changes and improvements in the new version of Windows, all of which add functionality, improve security, or increase the stability and performance of the operating system.

The vast majority of applications that run on Windows 2000 will run fine on Windows Server 2003. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 runs great, as do most other Microsoft applications – with one notable exception. Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 will *not* run on Windows Server 2003. Microsoft will be releasing the next version of Exchange Server later this year, and this will be well suited for Windows Server 2003. If you have any custom applications, you should check with the vendor or your developers for compatibility.

IIS 6.0 is faster, more secure, more stable, and more scalable than any previous version of IIS, but IIS 6.0 is not available on any prior release of Windows. Almost anyone doing any type of web hosting on an older version of IIS will immediately see performance and stability improvements. IIS 6.0 will allow you to potentially host thousands more websites per server, and startup and shutdown times for IIS are dramatically faster. IIS 6.0 can serve static content up to 200% faster than IIS 5.0 and can better isolate your applications to keep the server healthy – even when an application misbehaves. The inclusion of the.Net Framework allows you to immediately take advantage of all of the benefits of Microsoft’s newest development platforms and will run your.Net application code out of the box. It will also allow you to immediately begin developing applications which take advantage of XML web services.

There is also a FREE and EASY way to get started in developing applications that can take advantage of all the new features of your Windows 2003 webserver. ASP.NET Web Matrix is a community-supported, easy-to-use WYSIWYG application development tool for ASP.NET. It can be installed via a quick 1.3 MB download (about 5 minutes using a 56Kb modem). New features include: Access database support, J# support, design time enhancements including improved table editing and user-control rendering, many bug fixes, and much more! Best of all? It’s absolutely free! Check it out!