Learn more about Windows Rights Management Services

by TechRepublic Staff | Apr 20, 2004 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Digital rights management (DRM), TechRepublic Staff, Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services

Takeaway: Read this Microsoft white paper to learn how to implement Windows Rights Management Services.

Technologies such as firewalls and ACLs allow you to restrict access to digital information, but such perimeter-based solutions are limited in the protection they can offer. Microsoft's Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) is designed to supplement those measures by offering persistent security that stays with a file no matter where it goes.

RMS consists of two primary components: the RMS service itself, a server level component that provides the authentication services, and the client component. Typically, the client component is embedded into an RMS-enabled application such as Microsoft Office 2003. A software developer's kit allows developers to build RMS security into custom applications as well.

The Microsoft white paper Windows Rights Management Services for Windows Server 2003: Helping Organizations Safeguard Digital Information from Unauthorized Use explains the mechanics of implementing Windows Rights Management Services. The paper includes a discussion of the need for this type of technology, an introduction to RMS components, a look at various deployment options, and an appendix that covers the RMS interoperability standard, XrML.