Datasheet

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
5
of “Managers,” examples of which are the I/O Manager, Memory Manager, Cache Manager,
Object Manager, and so forth.
In Windows 2000 (and Windows NT before that), the user mode contained two subsystems:
those with integral services and an environmental subsystem. The environmental subsystem is a
set of operating system routines that allow Windows to run different operating systems. The Win32
subsystem can run 32-bit Windows applications, and through Virtual DOS Machines (VDMs), it
could also run 16-bit applications such as MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 in emulation. Environmental
modules are extensible, as you can see with the module that supports OS/2 and another that sup-
ports the POSIX standard of Unix.
The integral subsystem in the user mode provides services to the environmental subsystem.
High-level security such as resource access and the Active Directory is implemented in this security
subsystem. The other two subsystems are networking services. Workstation is an API that commu-
nicates with the network redirector and communicates with other systems. Server is the API to a
service that allows that local computer to provide services to other systems on the network.
With this brief overview of the Windows 2000 architecture, let’s turn our attention to the
changes that Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1 have ushered in.
Architecture for Windows Server 2008
Microsoft first unveiled Windows Server 2008’s architecture at the Microsoft Professional Devel-
opers Conference in 2003. Figure 1.3 shows the original system block diagram that detailed the
major projects under the Windows Server 2008 umbrella.
Figure 1.3
Microsoft’s original
plans for their
Windows Server 2008
project included
reworking all of the
higher-level system
functions.
For an image map with a description of each of these separate modules, go to
http://www.ftponline.com/resources/longhorn/baseos.asp
Avalon– .NET Framework Presentation Manager
Documents
UI Media
Desktop Services
Desktop
Manager
Media Services
Animation, Rendering, Capture
Windows Forms
Web
Services
Web Apps
ASP.NET
Base Operating System Services
CLR–Class Library Runtime
Graphics Display Engine
NTFS FAT 16/32
Managers
PnP, Memory, Power, Config. Process, Security, LPC, File Cache, I/O
Kernel
Hardware Abstraction Layer
WinFS–Data, Next
Generation File System
Objects Relational Objects
Schema (Contact/Media)
ADO.NET
Data Model InfoAgent
File System
Services
Synchronization
WinFS Core
Indigo – Communication
Processes
Messaging Modules
Collaboration
People, Groups, Ctrls, Signaling
Channels
Connectors
Policy Engine
Security
Communications Mgr. –Ports
Network Class Library
IIS
Network Stack
Directory Listeners
Firewall
Device and File System Drivers
WiFi, NDIS
Protocols
Filter Engine, IP, TCP, QoS,
IPSec, SIP, HTTP
Transaction Engine
Kernel Mode User Mode
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