The first Beta of the MPS SDK is available for download.  Here is a link to the Microsoft Download:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/b/9/fb905eb4-d992-40e3-b0bc-cdb1996a1a10/Microsoft%20Provisioning%20System%20SDK-%20Beta%201.zip

I’m not sure what’s going on with the branding of this, but the following names all seem to point to the same thing:

• Microsoft Solution for Windows-Based Hosting for Applications 1.0
• Microsoft Provisioning System SDK

Once you unzip the SDK, you’ll have the following 3 files:

• Beta 1 Get Started.doc – This document is a primer to understanding how MPS works.  It has a fair level of detail, but not really at the developer level yet.  Even though this is in an SDK, it’s very valuable reading for any Windows engineer that will be deploying or using MPS in ANY way. This includes using the Sample Control Panel (provided by Microsoft as a free download) or the eQuest Automation Framework.
• Beta 1 MPS SDK Documentation.doc – This document provides the instructions to actually install the SDK itself and how to use the components.
• Microsoft Provisioning System SDK.msi – The SDK itself should be installed on a machine that has the MPF Engine installed (if you plan on doing Provider level work, this is a must) and/or a machine that has the MPF Client installed (for Namespace development and submitting MPF Requests)

Here is a list of the components/features that come with the SDK (not the complete list):

• Provider Wizard (C# & VB.NET) for Visual Studio 2003 & 2005
• MPF Request and Namespace (XML) templates with Intellisense support.
• Sample Providers in VS.NET 2003 & 2005 – Hello World, Time, Send SMTP Mail, and Windows Media
• XSLT Intellisense Support
• MPS Tools Integration with Visual Studio 2005
  - Namespace/Procedure Browser – See list of installed Named Procedures on an MPF Deployment
  - Procedure Step Browser – See all of the steps, and sub steps, that are a part of a given procedure
  - Find All Procedures – Look for all procedures that a given procedure.
  - Context Menus – There are a number of tasks that are now available via the Context Menu when you Right-Click within an MPF procedure file. (Insert call into Current File, Execute, Create Sample Request, Copy, Delete)

Now some of you may have already seen some of these features before.  The XML Templates, Provider Wizard (C#), and intellisense support were part of the developer tools section of the MPS Installer back a few releases of the solution ago.  There were taken out due to lack of documentation and testing, but I’m glad to see that they have resurfaced better than ever!

Rob Gillen, also at Planet Technologies and working on the SDK, also talks a bit about the SDK: http://weblogs.asp.net/rgillen/archive/2006/05/26/New-SDK-for-the-Microsoft-Provisioning-System_2100_.aspx