Web Deployment Tool

Web Deployment Tool provides an efficient solution for managing, deploying, and migrating IIS Web servers, applications, and sites. This tool, developed by Microsoft, is in its latest version, 2.0, and the available program file names include amcap.exe, _69E2875F9C43E28BEC22C4.exe, _0EB8D83A17A13D0689487A.exe, WPWIZ.EXE, and WebWatch.exe. Its compact size of just 123 KB ensures easy and quick installation.

The Web Deployment Tool excels in its seamless integration with IIS 7.0 Manager and Visual Studio 2010, providing a robust interface for creating and deploying packages both locally and remotely. This tool also integrates smoothly with the Web Platform Installer, allowing for simple installation of community web applications. One of the standout capabilities is the Web application packaging, enabling users to package entire sites with their associated databases, ACLs, COM, GAC, and registry settings. Whether dealing with live servers or zipped packages, this functionality streamlines many processes related to web development and deployment.

Administrators and delegated users benefit from not needing administrative privileges to deploy applications, offering the ability to add powerful parameters for text changes upon deployment. This is extremely useful, especially when moving applications between different environments, making it a versatile tool for developers and IT professionals. Moreover, its integration with the IIS 7.0 Web Management Service (WMSVC) allows non-administrators to perform remote deployments effectively.

Regarding web server migration and synchronization, the Web Deployment Tool makes it possible to synchronize or migrate entire servers, sites, or applications, only syncing the data that has changed. This feature includes automatic content gathering, IIS configuration, SSL certificates, and ASP.NET configuration, greatly simplifying the synchronization process and ensuring nothing critical is overlooked.

The tool supports multiple versions of Windows, including Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, and 11, and comes under the Development Tools category, specifically under Web Development. In terms of version history, besides the latest 2.0 version, it has previous versions like 2.0, 1.3, and 1.1.

For those who wish to download this tool for free, it stands as a strong contender in the realm of web development and deployment utilities.

Pros:

• Seamless integration with IIS Manager and Visual Studio
• No admin privileges required for application deployment
• Powerful parameters for customizable deployments
• Supports synchronization and migration of entire servers

Cons:

• Restricted to Windows operating system
• Specific to IIS, limiting usage with other server types

You may want to check out more software, such as Microsoft Web Deploy, Nokia Asha Web App Tools or VNC Deployment Tool, which might be similar to Web Deployment Tool.