Overview of FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions is a set of server-side applications that extend the functionality of a Web server and support authoring in Microsoft FrontPage. FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions enables you and your customers to use advanced features without writing complex server-side programs, which are applications and programs that run on the Web server rather than on the client computer. Using this technology allows you to deploy content over HTTP without requiring a virtual private network (VPN) or an unsecured method, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions includes new features, such as roles and user rights, and server health monitoring.

A FrontPage client (a computer that is running FrontPage) communicates with a Web server by using WinSock and TCP/IP and with the server extensions by using HTTP. FrontPage implements a remote procedure call mechanism on top of the HTTP POST request, so that the FrontPage client can request documents, add new authors, and so on.

A Web server with FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions recognizes POST requests addressed to the server extensions Internet Server API (ISAPI) or Common Gateway Interface (CGI) applications and directs those requests accordingly. FrontPage can communicate between clients and servers even through proxy servers (firewalls).