Inside Longhorn Architecture

Welcome to FTP's introduction to Longhorn, the code name for the next major version of Windows. This architectural model shows how everything fits together. Click on the top-level sections for details, including descriptions of individual operations and services; simply hover your mouse over the items you want to see details on. We'll expand this site as more information becomes available.

Update: WinFS will be released separately from Longhorn at a later date.

Click here to get a preview of WinFX, the new programming interface introduced in Longhorn.

Avalon is the code name for a core portion of Longhorn's presentation layer. Probably the most significant UI change since Windows 1.0, Avalon is a unified presentation model for Windows apps, Web apps, graphical apps, and apps that run on various devices. Click here for more details. WinFS is a new set of Longhorn services that provides a flexible data store managed by Windows. Using new controls and framework interfaces, you can hook into those data stores and share data between applications. Click here for more details. Indigo is the core for communication in Longhorn. It supports both a Web service–based and a remoting-based approach to communication, and intends to supply a new level of security and power to service-based architecture. Click here for more details. Longhorn's base operating system is complex, but wrapping so many features into it allows for a simpler development and deployment strategy. Microsoft has made .NET's CLR part of the base operating system, enabling deep integration with .NET. Click here for more details.

Resources • PowerPoint slides of the PDC 2003 sessions • PDC 2003 Keynote by Bill Gates • Windows "Longhorn" Client Preview download for MSDN subscribers • Download the PDC's Longhorn Hands-On Labs • Browse the pre-alpha Longhorn SDK • "Inside Longhorn: The Details" by Don Kiely • "The Windows File System" • "A Guide to Developing and Running Connected Systems with Indigo" by Don Box • Hawk Eye On "Longhorn" • Windows "Longhorn" FAQ

Related FTP Articles Check out these articles in Visual Studio Magazine and Windows Server System Magazine. • Build a Longhorn App • Get a Grip on Longhorn • Avalon: The Longhorn Presentation Layer • Indigo: The Longhorn Communications Layer • WinFS: The Longhorn Data Layer • Longhorn: The Base Operating System • Prepare for WinFS • Understanding Microsoft's Platform Strategies