Microsoft recently announced the Release Candidate of Web Deploy 3.0, their tool for packaging and deploying web applications. The new version includes support for IIS8 on Windows Server 8, PowerShell cmdlets, and automated backup.
Web Deploy can be used to migrate and synchronize web applications, including IIS configuration, databases, and certificates. It allows deployment to be delegated to non-administrators, and for snapshots of IIS7+ sites to be created. The major new features in version 3.0 include:
Support for IIS8
Web applications can be migrated to IIS8 from IIS6, IIS7, and IIS7.5. The publishing process for IIS8 is the same as for IIS7 using Publish Profiles in Visual Studio.
Automatic Backup
Web Deploy has always had the ability to create snapshots for backup or rollback (for IIS7 or later). Automatic backups can now be scheduled on the server, and non-administrators can perform rollbacks if necessary.
PowerShell Cmdlets
Users can now run PowerShell cmdlets to accomplish most Web Deploy tasks from the command line. For instructions on installing the PowerShell snap-in, consult the cmdlets user guide.
Other updates to Web Deploy 3.0 RC include improved parameterization of publish settings, a new provider that allows for changing authentication mode, and several bug fixes. To download the new release, please consult the Web Deploy ReadMe for installation instructions.