1 / 18

Introducing Longhorn

Introducing Longhorn. What is it?. Longhorn is Microsoft’s “most important software release since Windows 95” – due for release 2006 What this talk covers key characteristics of Longhorn, as I see them possible impact of the changes

leila-quinn
Download Presentation

Introducing Longhorn

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Introducing Longhorn

  2. What is it? Longhorn is Microsoft’s “most important software release since Windows 95” – due for release 2006 What this talk covers key characteristics of Longhorn, as I see them possible impact of the changes Please comment as we go – it’s a discussion not a presentation!

  3. Longhorn file system • Called WinFS • Based on SQL (SQLserver, actually) • Files have attributes (name, person, date, type) which can be extended, and viewed in any manner • Meta-data allows multiple views of data physically located in one place • Uses the filesystem to store information!

  4. E.g. • View by person • Word documents authored by them, emails from them, etc. • View by project • All files tagged with that project attribute – of all types

  5. Thoughts + A significant part of Longhorn + What a file system should have been for years + Very useful + Powerful as based on SQL • Requires large RAM (200MB for fs alone, I assume for maintaining indicies, and could get much worse for complex metadata) • May be slow

  6. XAML • Pronounced to rhyme with “camel” • eXtensible Application Markup Language • Provides system for designing and writing interfaces that is platform neutral and can be interpreted by all code • Allows web and applications to be written in same way

  7. More on XAML • Using markup alone, you can • Describe hierarchical set of objects that runtime instantiates • Set object properties to known vlaues • Set properties to values from a data source • Store changes back to data source • Change a value over time • Bind event handler to object’s event

  8. And more • Panels (canvas, flow, dock, grid, text) • Controls • Buttons, check boxes, radio buttons, list boxes, combo boxes, sliders, scroll bars etc. • Control composition • Shape drawing, transforms, animations • Document services

  9. +/- + Powerful, fast, simple + interfaces can be easily generated programmatically • sort of based on standards but for how long? • Blurs web/application boundaries (which may be a + too)

  10. Indigio • Messaging system enabling secure, reliable, transacted messaging over multiple transports across heterogenous systems • High level API • Underlying system deals with all networking across a variety of channels (ethernet, wireless, bluetooth) • Allows multi-user collaborative applications to be build very easily

  11. More Indigo • Makes it easy to build web services • Built-in security manager using profiles and policies

  12. +/- + Easy to write flexible, powerful applications • I’d thought this was one of the most exciting bits of Longhorn but - looks like it will make connecting to non-MS apps harder

  13. Mobility-aware applications • Longhorn adds support for power management and grab-and-go docking • Can find out how much power is available and do appropriate things • Doesn’t support decent device interrogation as far as I can see • Available shortly: Location server – API to all mobile operator location services, ties in with Map Server, allows easy creation of location-aware services and systems

  14. For completeness • Yukon • The new SQLserver • I have no interest in it so know little about it! • Aero • New interface for Longhorn • Not announced so not clear what’s in it • Think Mac OS X and you’ll be close

  15. How to take advantage of Longhorn • In order: • Try out the developers kit and Longhorn OS CD (copies available) • Learn .net (a lot of compatibility will transfer) • Learn XML, SOAs and web services • Know how to design good user experiences, focus on usability and use not technology

  16. Broader thoughts • Longhorn essentially moves a number of application-level operations into the OS (e.g. file management, messaging, screen drawing) • Blurs the line between web and applications • Probably makes it easier to work with other MS apps and harder to work with non MS stuff

  17. Who are they going after? • The browser wars are won • Linux? Maybe… • Java? Making it harder to work with Java, removing some of Java’s advantages • IBM? Certainly moving into areas where IBM offer value-added services • Still a focus on system level stuff, however, and not too broad a brush when pulling apps into the OS

  18. Other news • MS aiming to buy out Google • Currently made private offer, rejected • If Google floats, will chase it on the market • Relevant? • Yes, if it pulls more of web control to MS

More Related