PHP has changed the world: no other language has influenced and spurred web development
so strongly. From simple home pages to social software and business applications
to the largest global websites, PHP has played a leading role for years. Simultaneously,
Microsoft and its Windows operating system has made computers available to all households.
Along with Internet Information Services (IIS) for Windows Server, Microsoft SQL
Server, Microsoft Active Directory, and Microsoft Exchange Server, it has created a solid and
powerful platform for organizations and companies, as well. Microsoft recognizes the potential
that lies in supporting PHP in its own products, and is now explicitly incorporating PHP
into its development strategy, thus promoting interoperability with the Windows platform.
Thanks to the recent efforts by the Windows PHP team, including Pierre Joye, Ruslan
Yakushev, and others, the combination of IIS and PHP is now faster, more stable, more secure,
and easier to manage than ever. These efforts—FastCGI, WinCache, PHP Manager, new drivers
for SQL Server, the integration with Microsoft’s Web Platform Installer (Web PI), as well
as development aids for Windows Azure, Virtual Earth, Webslices, Silverlight, and SQL Server
(just to name a few)—make PHP development on Windows an enjoyable and productive
experience.
Combined with the ever-improving interoperability of Microsoft’s products, PHP is ready
for just about every task in corporate environments. Whether you want to access Exchange
Server through its SOAP web services, manage users in Active Directory with Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), or use Windows credentials to provide seamless authentication
of your users, PHP is up to the task.
In addition, Microsoft provides extensive developer documentation on its MSDN developer
network and on TechNet, which leaves few common questions unanswered. Also, several of
Microsoft’s core PHP developers share valuable insights, tips, and tricks on their blogs.
If, like me, you have mostly been using PHP with Apache and MySQL, you should be excited
about the functionality, stability, performance, and integrated security architecture of the
Microsoft platform. This book shows you how to run your PHP applications effectively and
securely with IIS and SQL Server, and how to access user data in Active Directory as well as
the calendar and email data in Exchange Server.
