The class store enables central deployment and management of applications, components, and services across multiple computers. Applications and components can be assigned to a group of users (Organizational Unit), individual users, or to individual computers by their group policy template (GPT). A given user or computer can have multiple class stores associated with it. Components in a class store are then available whenever they are needed. Updates to components or applications are performed once in a central location, with users automatically obtaining new versions as they become available.
The class store uses the Windows NT 5.0 Active Directory as its centralized store and ties into the administrative hierarchy defined by the Active Directory.
The COM libraries, Shell, and Internet Explorer automatically use the class store to install missing applications or components. If no implementation is available in the local registry, the system looks in the class stores for a suitable implementation.
For customized administration and programmatic query/installation for specific components and packages, the class store also offers a set of interfaces and APIs. The Class Store Manager object provides a consolidated query of one or more class stores. It exposes the IClassAccess interface to provide access to information about applications, components, and services in a class store. It also provides an interface for query by Component Category (ICatInformation). Individual class store providers expose the IClassAdmin interface, which administers a specific class store container.
Packages available from various vendors for different platforms, activation modes, access control, setup, and installation information are stored and cataloged in the class store. A package can include an entire application (Microsoft® Word or Excel), a set of binary component implementations packaged together, or a standalone COM component (ActiveX™ control).