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 Please comment as we go – it’s a discussion not a presentation!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

+/- + 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)

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

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

+/- + 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

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

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

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

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

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

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