The Microsoft Content Replication System updates the access control lists for MCIS News Server automatically across multiple servers. This saves time and simplifies security administration. Allows anyone access to a newsgroup without providing a user name or a password. Requires the user to provide a user name and a password, which are encrypted for secure transmission across the network. A virtual directory is a directory on a local or remote disk drive that acts as the root of a part of the newsgroup hierarchy.
Virtual directories enable administrators to store newsgroup files on multiple disk drives.
Using more than one disk drive can improve the performance of a heavily used drive and can provide more storage. Virtual directories also enable administrators to change the physical location of the directory without changing the name of the newsgroup. It can also allow posts to news servers from email messages. This allows companies to have a synchronized mailing list and discussion database, for example. Logging for usage statistics and reporting MCIS News Server allows administrators to log activity in a variety of formats, including the W3C Extended format.