Microsoft .NET Core 3.0 - Windows Server Hosting

It equips a Windows server with the components required to host web and server applications built with .NET Core 3.0, giving those applications the operating support needed to run as hosted services. As a metapackage, it brings together the components required for this hosting role rather than providing a standalone application for end users. Its purpose is deployment and operation of .NET Core workloads, not a general environment for writing and developing them.

Microsoft designed the package for server administrators and application operators who manage .NET Core applications in production or other hosted settings. Its components support hosting through IIS, allowing .NET Core web applications and server services to run with the IIS web server. This makes it applicable when an organization’s Windows-based web workload depends on IIS for serving and managing applications.

The current version is 3.0.3, and the package is distributed under a freeware license. It runs on Windows and focuses on the Windows-side requirements of hosted .NET Core applications, while the broader .NET ecosystem also supports building web applications and services for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Docker.