MS Windows NT operating system. What are the versions of the Windows operating system

Roots

All in 1975 began when Digital Equipment initiated the development of its 32-bit VAX platform.

The management of this project was instructed by the Cattler, who had already earned a reputation of a strong systemer, creating RSX-11M for the famous PDP-11 mini-computers. In 1977, the VAX-11/780 machine and the operating system for it were announced - VMS 1.0. Four years later, Cattler was insanely tired of "attributing" numbers after the constant prefix of three letters, and he decided to leave Digital. However, the Corporation functionaries turned out to be cunning: since a talented developer could not keep in the elephant of the organization, they decided to simulate the atmosphere of startup and free creativity. A autonomous division in Seattle was created, and Cattler allowed to score the required number of personnel (about 200 people) directly from Digital employees. The new structure was engaged in design processor architecture and operating system Code name Prism.

Diagram of the development of operating systems of the Windows NT family

For a short time, "Happiness MIG" lasted, big bosses failed to bring the work started to logically, and in 1988, Cutler, along with its 200 engineers and programmers, was on free bread. But the well-known developer was not left not to work: at that time, in the head of Bill Gates, a decision was ripe on the need to create a server OS competing with UNIX clones. Only to get David Cattler, the future general architect Microsoft agreed to hire 20 former Digital engineers by his choice. In November 1988, the team, which included five immigrants from Digital and one Microsoft programmer, began to work.

The task was to write OS for the new Intel i860 RISC processor under the code name N-TEN. From here, by the way, the NT abbreviation appeared, later the Microsoft marketers later projected as New Technology. Already in December 1988, the first fragments of the system were prepared. The snag was that I860 existed only on paper, so the code had to be tested on the program emulator. The development was carried out on "toy", according to the current standards, Intel 386 25 MHz machines with RAM 13 MB and 110 MB hard drives.

The architecture of the microkernel, initially based on NT, has acquired crucial importance when in 1989 it was found - "Iron" i860 is not able to effectively execute the written code. I had to reorienate on the MIPS R3000, and then on the standard Intel 386 processor, which was done in less than a year by the team that increased to 28 engineers.

In 1990, there was a major event that became key in the fate of NT, the output and dizzying success of Windows 3.0. In fact, she became the first multitasking Microsoft OS with a decent graphical interface, in which you could perform real work. It is borrowing this interface And the API predetermined the future of NT. At first, the server OS was to become a rime of the joint OS / 2 project with IBM and, accordingly, operate with existing OS / 2 applications. However, the third version of Windows appeared exclusively on time: Redmond refused its allies and reoriented the NT developer command to design the Win32 API made by "image and similarity" of the Win16 interface. This provided such a necessary continuity that facilitating porting applications from the desktop to the server platform.

The NT development group, which turned to the point in Windows NT, began to grow rapidly, and soon about 300 people worked in it. Refusal of orientation on OS / 2 led to serious problems in the relationship between Microsoft and IBM. Official statements have not been received, simply at one of the intercorporative presentations, IBM employees were confused that the established OS had nothing to do with the brainchild of their company. Nevertheless, the composition of Windows NT 3.1 (the numbering was "adjacent" to the current version of the 16-bit Windows that existed at that time) entered the support of DOS, Win16, Posix and OS / 2 API, including. In July 1993, the new server system from Microsoft was published and started his way.

Further, the dispute went: in September 1994, Windows NT 3.5 was released. The previous version was preparing in a feverish rush, everyone had to be encoded from scratch, and many functions remained unrealized. Now it's time to think about efficiency, speed and ... Organization of some interaction with networks built on NetWare - the absolute leader of the time dominated in the market local networks. If in those years so carefully referred to the regulation of monopoly, as is done today, it may be enough to write the corresponding blushes into the appropriate instance. Alas, Microsoft had to independently understand the situation. Novell fluctuated: provide or no client support for Windows NT. In Redmond could not wait anymore - they wrote their NetWare client, and he was so good that he was continued to be used and after the exit of the original software from Novell. In May 1995, thanks to the microker's architecture, a special "PowerPC-edition" of OS - Windows NT 3.51 appeared. According to some reports, its release was in due time detained due to the inability of IBM to adhere to the plan to bring this processor to the market. Therefore, the evolution of the PowerPC version came somewhat further than Windows NT 3.5, which allowed it to become the basis for the next version of the OS.

If during the moment it was still possible to talk about some kind of similarity of Windows NT architectures and even UNIX (in something infinitely distant, and in something very similar to VMS OS), then with the release of NT 4.0, which introduced the graphic subsystem in The kernel disappeared the last reason for such arguments. In theory, such a solution was an absolutely logical conclusion from the sad experience of an integration attempt to integrate a popular Windows 95 window environment. Probably the idea of \u200b\u200brepetition of the X Window - Unix architectural model - originally due to the original "server orientation" NT. However, if the graphical shell itself did not appear with the "transplant", then its speed in the user mode (i.e., in the form of regular app) I left much of the best, which is absolutely natural - supporting abstragated output device (whether it is a raster display, a printer or anything) The Windows graphic subsystem is incommensurable and, accordingly, demanding more to resources than X Window, "understanding" exclusively raster displays. So, in the composition windows kernels NT 4.0 released in July 1996, another module appeared. The audit was named Shell Update Release (SUR).

The next step has become Windows NT 5.0, released in the market in 2000. by the name of Windows 2000. The change of "titles" occurred under the influence of marketers and found itself, in general, the right solution to reposition this operating system. The work continues to this day, what is the certificate output of Windows Server 2003.

Battle for Windows Design and implementing Windows Server is subordinate to the Mark Lucovsky, one of the supporters of the Division of the Corporation server OS. He leads the army of 5 thousand developers found to seven laboratories. Another 5 thousand programmers are working at their workplaces in partner companies, bringing their 50 million lines every day at 50 million. Rows of the final code of Windows Server 2003. Every day, a complete compilation and an assembly of the system for checking for the performance and detection of errors are performed. Lists of detected errors are sent to the teams of developers. The corrections made should be declared on the electronic board of the ads, which puts them in a queue to the main assembly. The server farm engaged in the compilation of the system is constantly upgraded, nevertheless, as many years ago, a complete assembly takes 12 hours of machine time. And this is despite the separation of a colossal array of codes into separate independent groups of source texts, organized in tree hierarchy. The quintessence of the development process is time meetings in the so-called "combat room" (War Room), conducted two or three times daily (at 9.30, 14.00 and 17.00). They are preceded by similar events in local "combat rooms" of working groups at 8.00. The Main Meeting discusses the corrections of the previously discovered errors and the general state of the project is determined. In recent days, here, mostly, were looking for ways to solve an important problem - renaming Windows.Net Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003. Thousands of names in various modules, and this is at the last moment before the release of the system, which caused a serious headache from the developers. At the meeting, each team should report on the progress of its work, about the process of correcting the error detected and the possible consequences of making or non-submission of these amendments. If the problem fails to be solved or it is not considered to be important, the bug, according to the original terminology, "swelling" in the final release. Morning collection pass equal to desertion. The assembly begins every day at 16.30 and can be postponed until 18.00, so that after the third meeting in the "combat room" managed to include the latest fixes. The team cannot come to a meeting without a ready-made solution to existing problems, otherwise they are better not to appear there. Each of the seven laboratories has a full copy of the source texts of the system in which they contribute to the amendments, compile and check for performance. If everything went smoothly - the new code is combined with the code created by other groups to the main assembly. The problem may be in the interaction of a new code written by various groups. Not always the main assembly is successfully, sometimes the system turns out to be non-visual. In this case, as soon as the culprit module is detected (usually about three or four in the morning), writing it urgently caused to the workplace and do not leave it up to the correction of the error. Therefore, programmers must be 24 hours per day 6 days a week ready for work (six days is introduced as the date of the product release date approaches). The main principle on which the final testing stages are built is to use its own products in the project process. As soon as the system reaches the "first level" stability, it becomes the main OS in the working groups. The "second level" is considered to be achieved when the OS acquires the ability to function. Only after that it is allowed to use Microsoft in campus. So it was with the file server under NT, it was the first to use it was the storage of the original Windows NT texts, and so came from the first, and with all subsequent versions of Active Directory. The product is then transmitted to test Favorite partners in JDP (Joint Development Partners). If errors are detected, the "volitional solution" is accepted: leave them in the system and save the start date of sales or transfer the release date and make refinement. In the latter case, all the results are canceled, and testing begins with scratch. It is much more difficult to exercise after-sales support. When revealing flaws, "holes" in the safety or need to add new features to the product, you have to form or a local patch, or a full service pack. Since before this patch or Service Pack has already existed other, the new code is tested on a set of system options, turning through all possible combinations of patches and service packs. In addition, the corporation supports individual fragments of their network, functioning on older products (for example, Windows Server 2000), where you can runk the system in "field conditions", to implement a full-fledged performance.

How VMS has turned into WNT

Some acres in their time were joking that if you perform the incremental operation (increasing per unit) of each letter the name of the Cutlerian operating system VMS, then it will be Wnt or Windows NT. According to professionals, it is pure truth. Not a biased opinion based on the fact that the main architects NT were in their time the developers of VMS, and an objective reality.

In fact, NT is the embodiment of radical recycled, implemented in C to achieve better mobility, architectural ideas of the VMS assembly core, supplemented by the corresponding interface APIs and new file and graphic subsystems. The community of architectural solutions of two systems is very large. So, they have the same concepts of processes, priorities (32 levels), controlling prioritization and control of the distribution of processor time between them. But despite the significant similarity, undoubtedly, due to the previous experience of the head of the main architect - Cattler, NT was originally created as a multi-threaded processing of OS, one of this "small" difference makes it possible to understand the degree of NT dot from the "basic" VMS architecture.

Drivers in both OS are working within the framework of the stylish model, each layer of which is isolated from others, which allows you to organize a multi-stage device management scheme. Systems allow snapping both user processes and systemic, including drivers. Similarly, ways of presenting resources, both systems consider them as objects and manage them using Object Manager. NT safety, as well as put on its basis Discretionary Access Control Lists or DaCl, leads its pedigree from VMS 4.0.

In 1993, Digital Engineers, viewing the Windows NT specification, discovered its developmental similarity from the MICA experimental OS, which was created within the Prism project. How doesn't such attention to Redmond products? Not from a good life began to study the insides of someone else's system Digital employees. In 1992, the Corporation fell into a protracted peak, the money flowed through the fingers, and the sale of the new processor Alpha bucks. Now, in search of salvation, the bosses of the company tried to seek help to their worst competitor Intel, to which her president, Andrew Grove (Andrew Grove), answered with refusal. In the end, I had to go to the "Gates to the third" bow and ask the Windows NT port at Alpha in exchange for a promise to make NT, to the detriment of VMS, its main operating system. However, having received a preliminary version of NT, Digital engineers gradually understood that this OS requires significantly more RAM than to contain their typical "five thousand-oscillating alpha-PC". For the mass market of RISC stations, NT was clearly not suitable, an attempt to get up for the Microsoft flags for Digital (as, however, for most other companies) wrapped the loss of time and money.

The game in the "Find 10 differences" between Wnt and VMS brought Digital considerable dividends. According to one of the versions published in those days in Business Week, instead of opening to court, the President of Digital, having an irrefutable evidence of violation of intellectual property rights, decided to get more while spending less. He appealed to Microsoft for clarification, which resulted in signing a large-scale contract, according to which Digital became the main NT network integrator. In addition, in October of the same year, Redmond refused to support in Windows NT both competing with Alpha processors: PowerPC and MIPS. Unfortunately for the Digital manual, the Alliance was soon destroyed, and the status of NT Network Installation Services for Microsoft moved to Hewlett-Packard, which, however, later got another serious cargo of the corporation - VMS OS.

Despite the fact that the paths NT and VMS diverged, these operating systems continued a series of peculiar borrowing. In particular, Windows NT received cluster support only in 1997, while in VMS it was since 1984, a 64-bit version of Windows appeared even later (VMS migrated to a large bit since 1996). On the other hand, in the VMS 7.0 in 1995, the kernel levels announced, and a registry-similar database and a global event log similar to the appropriate means NT were announced. Windows Server 2003 opens in the light, let's see what will happen next ...

Hello everyone will say that Windows NT is not a completely program, this is the Microsoft WINDOVS family. Under the name Windows NT hides the concept of operating systems from Microsoft, not some specific, and all systems. Windsum today is a popular operating system and is more popular. My opinion is that popularity is primarily due to the fact that there is no worthy alternative and will not be - stupid now compete with the Microsoft giant.

But nevertheless, everything is right - you really can have something that will be called Windows NT, for this name appears a lot where. I will not give exact examples, I do not remember, but you can meet this inscription in my Windows in Windows.

If you have become a question to delete on Windows NT or not, I will answer this way - it is better not to delete. For there may be problems. It is logical if you think it becomes clear that all where Windows NT is written, then it is worth uninstalling it when you are exactly sure about it.

Windows NT was developed in the 1990s, after Microsoft stopped working with IBM (Eh, they were doing cool laptops), together these companies were developed by OS / 2, this was also an operating system, incomprehensible to me so far, but no matter. In short, then I started to cut Windows and you know what happened - Mega Crudytskaya Wind, the monopoly is alone, everyone does not like, but everyone uses

Yes, there is still Linux, but alas, it is for a narrow circle of users - not at all for those who need to be simple and beautiful and easy. I like Windows Personally, although it didn't please many of them, especially Windows 10, but I don't see anything in her curve ..

Ancient Windows, once a long time ago it was a masterpiece and dream limit:

But compare, this is already a seven, well, that is, Windows 7, many are still sitting on it and do not go to it:

I was a long fan of Windows XP, even very long, sat while I was sitting - I came out already Windows 7, and I hung on XP ... And so I bought a new iron, it was 1150 socket, everything is new, but I managed to put Windows XP and I She was still sitting two. Then Windows 10 came out, and I switched to it over time. The computer works for weeks and all the rules, no glitches and blue screens, No errors. Everything works like a clock. True, in XP, it was also almost no. So I somehow like Windows ..

I wrote a list where exactly you can notice such as Windows NT:

1. descriptions of some system files;
2. windows settings, system settings, there may be Windows NT everywhere;
3. in reference materials to the program or even in the instructions for some equipment;
4. it is unlikely that it is possible that under Windows NT will mow some kind of virus;
5. in system folders, for example in C: \\ Windows, there is a bunch of junk of any, in the description of which Windows NT is found;

I completely forgot to write, I myself can not say for sure, but it seems to have an OSER name called Windows NT, here is its boot screen.

The Windows NT system is not a further development of previously existing products. Its architecture was created from scratch, taking into account the requirements for the modern operating system. The features of the new system developed on the basis of these requirements are listed below.

In an effort to provide compatibility (compatible) of the new operating system, Windows NT developers saved the usual Windows interface and implemented support for existing file systems (such as Fat) and various applications (written for MS - DOS, OS / 2 1.x, Windows 3.x and POSIX). The developmentors also included the tools for Windows NT to work with various network tools.

Portability (portability) of a system that can now work both on CISC and RISC processors is reached on CISC. CISC includes Intel - compatible processors 80386 and higher; RISC is represented by systems with MIPS R4000 processors, Digital Alpha AXP and Pentium series P54 and above .

Scalability (Scalability) means that Windows NT is not tied to single-processor computers architecture, and is able to fully use the capabilities provided by symmetric multiprocessor systems. At present windows time NT can function on computers with processors from 1 to 32. In addition, in case of complications of tasks and extensions that are configured to computer environment, Windows NT allows you to easily

add more powerful and productive servers and workstations to the corporate network. Additional advantages gives the use of a single development environment for both servers, and for workstations.

Windows NT has a homogeneous security system (Security) satisfying the specifications of the US government and the relevant Security Standard B2. In the corporate environment, critical applications ensures a fully isolated environment.

Distributed Processing means that Windows NT has built-in network capabilities. Windows NT also allows you to connect with various types of hosts with support for various transport protocols and the use of high-level client-server tools, including named channels, calls remote procedures RPC - Remote Procedure Call) and Windows are sockets.

Reliability and Robustness (Reliability and Robustness) provide architectural features that protect applied programs from damage to each other and the operating system. Windows NT uses a fault-tolerant structured processing of special situations on all architectural levels, which includes the NTFS file system being restored and provides protection using a built-in security system and advanced memory management techniques.

Localization capabilities (ALLOCATION) represent funds for work in many countries of the world in national languages, which is achieved by applying standard ISO. Unicod (developed by the International Organization for Standardization).

Windows NT Concepts

The Windows NT operating system is implemented in two options: Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation. Windows NT Server 4.0 is a network operating system with Internet applications, file and print service, remote access service, built-in router, file indexing and network management. The second version of Windows NT - Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is much reminiscent of NT Server, but it is optimized as an operating system for the workstation. From the point of view of architecture and features, Windows NT Server is a preds for Windows NT Workstation and includes all the possibilities of the latter. Further, in cases where it is not specified which one of the OS is meant, comments relate to both.

The origins of Windows NT.

The beginning of the work on the creation of Windows NT is at the end of the 88th year. Microsoft instructed David Cutler (David Cutler) to head a new project in the field of software: the development of the new technology OS (NEW Technology - NT). David Cutler was the main consultant of the company DEC, he worked in this company for 17 years, developing OS and compilers: VAX / VMS, OS for Microvax I, OS RSX-11M, compilers VAX PL / 1, VAX C.

First, Windows NT has developed as a lightweight OS / 2 option (OS / 2 Lite), which due to the truncation of some functions could work on less powerful machines. However, over time, seeing how successfully accepted by Windows 3.0 consumers, Microsoft reoriented and began to develop an improved version of Windows 3.1. The new Microsoft strategy consisted of creating a single family based on Windows operating systems that would cover many types of computers, from the smallest laptops to the largest multiprocessor workstations.

Windows NT, as the next generation of WindowsSystems was named, refers to the highest level in the Windows family hierarchy. This operating system, originally supported the usual graphical interface (GUI) of the Windows user, was the first fully 32-bit OS of Microsoft. Win32 API - a programming interface for developing new applications - made an enhanced OS properties available for applications, such as multi-line processes, synchronization, security, I / O tool, object management.

Conceptual advantages of Windows NT compared to a pair of MS-DOS / Windows 3.1 were obvious. Its 32-bit base together with true multitasking and multi-tribidity significantly increased the potential of the system.

The first NT - Windows NT 3.1 and Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 family appeared in July 1993. The code name is next windows version NT 3.5 - Daytona, - coinciding with the title of the high-speed route in Florida, may have said that its main advantage is speed. Indeed, the performance of version 3.5 increased by 1.5 times compared in version 3.1, and after its appearance, many corporate users who rejected version 3.1 for one reason or another, revised their attitude to the NT line: In 1995, the share of Windows NT in its The market sector has increased 2 times and amounted to 15%.

Features of Windows NT 4.0

In August 1996, the next version of Windows NT 4.0 was published. At first it was assumed that this regular version of Windows NT will receive number 3.52, but it was assigned number 4.0, which was previously mentioned in the computer press in connection with another expected version of Windows NT, which has a Cairo code name. Perhaps this suggests that in this latest version (Windows NT 4.0) there are so many new important properties that require more significant changes in the encoding. The innovations made in Windows NT Server 4.0 are mainly related to the improvement of the user interface, the extension of Internet support, the emergence of new and upgrades the existing administration tools and an increase in system performance.

In Windows NT 4.0, many significant changes were made, among which the most significant are the following:

implementation of the interface in the style of Windows 95;

orientation towards Internet and Intranet;

architectural changes that allowed sharply improve the performance of graphic operations;

modification of interaction tools with NetWare - Gateway and NCP client support NDS now;

support for multiprotocol routing;

the appearance in Windows NT 4.0 an Intel Emulator for RISC platforms.

There are other improvements in version 4.0. For example, in Windows NT Server 4.0, extensions are significantly improved compared to Windows NT Server 3.51, which makes it possible to achieve much higher performance on computers with 4 processors, and also provides a linear increase in performance on machines with eight and large number of processors.

The performance of Windows NT Server 4.0 when working as a file server also increased significantly and exceeded the performance of Windows NT Server 3.51 according to some data more than 2 times.

New administrative windows NT can work remotely on Windows 95 clients. In addition, Windows NT Server provides a remote download service for Windows 95 clients. (This is useful for dismissed workstations.)

In Windows NT 4.0, a new graphical user interface with Windows 95 is used. Although some users do not always like such a change, but this Microsoft restores the principle of "single interface for all platforms", which was originally considered one of the strengths of Windows NT. On a network with client stations running Windows 95 or Windows NT (as well as in a mixed network including such stations), Windows NT Server administrators can perform their functions by using the same interface as working stations.

In addition to external changes, the upgrade of the graphical interface has not significantly reflected on the network management methods. The basic toolkit of the Windows NT Server administrator remained the same. User Manager for Domains, Server Manager, Disk Administrator, Event Viewer, Performance Monitor, DHCP Manager, Wins Manager, Network Client Administrator, License Manager and Migration Tool for NetWare have not undergone significant changes. Remote Access Administrator also has not changed, but now it is postponed from a separate folder in the Administrative Tools menu. New editor System Policy System Policy Editor, compatible with both Windows NT and Windows 95, replaced the User Profile Editor user profile editor, familiar to you by Windows NT Server 3.x. Version 4.0 includes four additions: Administrative Programs Administrative Wizards, already mentioned by System Policy Editor, as well as the advanced Windows NT Diagnostics and Network Monitor (network monitoring program, previously supplied only as part of the Microsoft Systems Management Server product).

Administrative Wizards Wizard software allow you to easily step by step, perform such actions as creating user accounts, management of their groups, access control files and catalogs, installing a new printer, installation and uninstalling programs, connection of the modem, preparation of package installation diskettes For new customers and monitoring compliance with licensing agreements for installed programs. All this will be useful for those administrators who believe that, despite the presence of a graphical interface, Windows NT controls are still complex.

Windows NT 4.0 has several useful system components for monitoring borrowed from Systems Management Server Microsoft. The main application is the Performance Monitor tool, graphically tracking selected system events. In particular, Performance Monitor can be used to obtain the CPU loading charts, the general I / O network cards and the number of http transmitted bytes.

Another application, Monitor Tool, also can capture and track coming and cargo from a computer under NT network traffic. The monitoring script (for example, a description of the frames of which protocols need to be traced, what traffic characteristics will be measured from which workstations or users) can be preserved and re-used.

A set of master masters is still far from functional completeness. For example, there is no program that moved the user's budget from one domain to another, i.e. would perform procedures related to the need to delete one account And create another.

Other innovations in Windows NT Server 4.0 are mainly related to Internet and Intranet. The following included, software components occupy an important place among them:

Internet Information Server (IIS) Version 2.0 - Microsoft Product, providing Web, FTP and Gopher Server Services, Internet Information Server Opportunities Comparisons, and for a number of tests and exceed a similar popular product Server Netscape. Microsoft Internet Information Server 2.0 is the fastest Web server for Windows NT Server - it is 40 percent exceeding the performance of its predecessor - version 1.0;

Object model of distributed components - Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), which provides a secure connection between components via the Internet;

DNS / WINS Server, which makes it easy to find the necessary Web nodes in the Internet or Intranet networks;

pPTP technology (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol), which extends the functionality of the remote server windows access NT Server (RAS) and provides the possibility of creating private networks in the Internet;

frontPage program that allows you to create web pages based on a variety of templates, check the correctness of the links and implement the general management of the web nodes created;

microsoft Search Server Index Server, which makes it easy to find information on distributed Intranet network servers as part of any documents, including those created in Microsoft Office.

Two products of the new system designed to work in the Internet are of particular interest to administrators. First, this is the DNS name service. It allows you to use DNS names, but only supports static addressing. To remove this limit, Microsoft offers the integration of DNS and WINS services, calling this combination of "truly dynamic DNS". Now that the WINS client needs to determine the IP address corresponding to the symbolic NetBIOS name, it appeals first to the WINS database, and then actually to the DNS. Thus, in the system, you can also use and dynamically recognized WINS names, and static DNS names.

In addition, Windows NT 4.0 entered a Web-oriented administration utility, which opens access to Windows NT administration tools from any Web browser. For security reasons for remote administration, use Web browsers that can register the user directly on the Windows NT server (i.e., such as Internet Explorer.) Or support the SSL protocol.

One of the improvements is due to the fact that the enhancement role of the Internet "and client-server systems leads to an increase in the number of mobile users. Microsoft has improved RAS (improved ISDN support) and provided funds from RAS via the Internet. In RAS implemented PPTP protocols (creates encrypted traffic via the Internet) and MULTILINK PPP (allows you to combine multiple channels to one). Clients can be Windows NT 4.0 Workstation or Windows 95.

Distributed Component Object Model - another key addition to Windows NT Server 4.0. The object layout model (COM) allows programs to create applications consisting of separate components. Distributed model (DCOM) in Windows NT Server 4.0 extends the COM in such a way that allows individual components to interact via the Internet. DCOM is a growing standard of the Internet published in accordance with the format defined in RFC 1543 specifications.

When developing Windows NT 4.0 Microsoft decided to sacrifice stability for the sake of performance. To this end, changes were made to architecture: window manager libraries and GDI, as well as graphic adapter drivers were transferred from the user mode to kernel mode. This change means a departure from the previous versions of Windows NT 3.s to the microker's concept.

Transferring a graphic library and drivers to the kernel area improves the speed of graphic I / O. These changes have particularly affected at the speed of execution of Win32 applications, while Windows-16 applications and DOS graphic applications work approximately as in version 3.5.

At the same time, the changes described make the operating system in principle less reliable. Indeed, since the software of graphic adapters is usually developed by manufacturers of this equipment, and this software is often changing (along with the equipment), it is difficult to expect the reliability that is required for the operating system modules.

New properties of Windows NT 5.0

At the end of 1997, Windows NT 5.0 is expected to be an improved version of Windows NT. It will not only be a fully 32-bit, but also fully object-oriented system. The basis of Windows NT 5.0 is an object-oriented file system implemented on the basis of OLE 2.0 standard, which allows you to store not files, but objects. An object-oriented approach allows the smallest costs to ensure the correctness of numerous data copies, such as documents, spreadsheets, applications and other types of information stored on different network machines.

The version of Windows NT 5.0 promises a lot, and innovations will primarily touch the following subsystems:

Active Directory is a global reference service that develops a 2-level approach to resolving DNS names. Active Directory contains information not only about files, but also about objects of other types, for example:

Computer name, IP address, Username, password, mailing address, application name, computer, version, access rights.

Distributed File System (DFS) is a distributed file system (freely available at www.microsoft.com). Catalogs of this file system located on different servers are mounted in a common tree starting on the root server with the root share name. Different supports of one share can consist of file systems not only Microsoft, but also Novell NCP and SUN NFS. Some branches of a distributed file system can be replicated transparent at the request of the administrator.

Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) - Software Objects (ActiveX or Other) can be distributed over the network servers and encourage applications from any computer. Information about the location of objects is recorded in Active Directory.

Safety tools: Checking access rights to documents in Windows NT 5.0 will be carried out using the Kerberos method or using electronic signatureAnd the transfer of documents on the network will be implemented using encryption.

Requirements for equipment

There are different opinions about whether the requirements for equipment from Windows NT are high. Some it seems that they are too high, and some consider these requirements quite acceptable. It all depends on what means or what park of computing equipment is available at the disposal of the potential consumer of Windows NT, and what tasks are facing it.

To work Windows NT Workstation 4.0, the computer must have a processor not lower than i486 (in this version of the system, Microsoft has abandoned any support for I386 processors), RAM of at least 12 MB and 108 MB of disk space. And although this OS is fully operational on computers with rapid memory less than 16 MB, but it is recommended to install it in the presence of RAM, the capacity of which is twice the permissible minimum, i.e. it is 24 MB, and the free disk space is at least 216 MB. You can start Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on a system with less resources, but then the user is unlikely to be satisfied with its performance.

For Windows NT Server 4.0, Microsoft defines the following hardware requirements: the processor is not lower than I486, RAM of 16 MB and at least 148 MB of continuous free disk space. To familiarize yourself with the functional capabilities of the system, it is possible, and enough, but for the "industrial" use of these minimum requirements is clearly not enough. For a server with low or medium loading (determined by the number of served users), it is necessary to have 32 MB of RAM and hard disk With a capacity of at least 1 GB.

A complete list of equipment that has been tested for Windows NT compatibility is contained in the system documentation and on the server. www.microsoft.com..

Region windows uses Nt.

Having high performance, stability, developed security tools, and having a wide range of basic system functions in its arsenal, Windows NT Server can find applications in various fields, and, first of all, it can be used as a server in corporate network. It turns out to be very useful here to perform the functions of the domain controller, which allows you to structure the network and thereby simplify administrative and management tasks. It is also used as a file server, print server, application server, remote access server and communication server (software router).

Clients online with Windows NT Server can be computers with various operating systems installed on them. Standardly supported: Windows NT Workstation, MS-DOS, OS / 2, Windows For Workgroups, Windows 95, Unix clones, Macintosh. Main clients are included in the standard delivery of Windows NT Server.

Windows NT Server is a powerful platform for complex network applications, especially those built using client-server technology. In combination with BackOffice servers, it can satisfy a very wide range of corporate users. So, under Windows NT Server, a database server can operate SQL Server Microsoft, as well as other-known firms database servers, such as Oracle and Sybase, Adabas and InterBase database servers.

A powerful Microsoft System Management Server administration system can be installed on the Windows NT Server platform, the functions of which is the hardware and software configuration software inventory, automatic installation software products on workstations, remote control by any computer and network monitoring.

Windows NT Server can be used as a communication server with IBM mainframes and IBM AS400 systems. To do this, a special Microsoft SNA Server product has been created, which makes it easy to combine IBM-compatible workstations and powerful mainframes in one network. SNA SEVER is a gateway that allows you to access the workstation both to the local network servers and to mainframes without the need to use two network cards or several stacks of network protocols. This leads to a decrease in the cost of equipment and reducing the amount of required RAM. Providing transparent access to mainframes, SNA Server, being integrated with the NT Server security system, provides an authorization of access to the host. SNA Server can work with any of the protocols supported in NT Server: IPX / SPX, TCP / IP or NetBeUI.

Windows NT Server is a Microsoft Exchange platform - a new highly productive package for collective work based on the mailing server.

Finally, the latest version of Windows NT 4.0 is a reliable platform for Internet-oriented applications: Web servers, Web browsers, information search engines, e-commerce systems on the Internet.

Windows NT Workstation operating system is primarily positioned as a client in windows networks NT Server, as well as in NetWare, Unix, Vines networks. In NetWare networks, Windows NT workstations are filled with a well-known space - the absence of a good application server. The computer with Windows NT installed on it can be a workstation and in peer-to-peer networks, performing both the function and client and the server simultaneously. Windows NT Workstation can be used as an autonomous computer, if high performance or secrecy is needed, as well as when implementing complex graphics applications, for example, in automated design systems.

On the NT kernel (New Technology), the development of Microsoft. The system was focused on corporate users. Windows NT had a graphical user interface and provided Win32 API - 32-bit application programming interface to develop new applications capable of using all the possibilities of high-level operating systems to which, in particular, include multi-threaded (or multitasking) processes, synchronization, protection against unauthorized Access, I / O and Object Management. Windows NT could interact with other Microsoft operating systems, with Apple Macintosh, with UNIX-like systems on networks different types. The interaction could occur both with single-processor and multiprocessor computers built using CISC or RISC technologies. Initially, Windows NT has developed separately from the Windows 9X operating system family and positioned in the market, as a workstation solution (Windows NT Workstation) and servers (Windows NT Server). Windows NT gave rise to the family of operating systems in which Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003.

In November 1988, a joint project of IBM and Microsoft companies began to create a new generation operating system - OS / 2 NT, which could start both programs written for both Windows, and for OS / 2, and should have become a replacement to both systems. But in May 1990, Windows 3.0 came out, which brought Microsoft commercial success, and the company decided to make the Windows Program Interface (API) main in OS / 2 NT. It caused discontent from IBM, which promoted OS / 2 API. As a result, the contract was terminated, and companies began to develop the existing general code on their own. The result of IBM developments was OS / 2 3.0, and Microsoft - Windows NT, which appeared in August 1993. Subsequently, it was assigned to her number 3.1 to match the released a little earlier Windows 3.1. The new system was distinguished from Windows 3.1. The following features:

• 32-bitness. New system It could use all the features of 32-bit processors, including to run 32-bit programs and address large amounts of memory (up to 4 gigabytes);
• obesting multitasking. The operating system was not waiting for the process himself wants to free the processor, and forcibly removed it from execution after he spent time allotted him;
• no MS-DOS. Windows NT 3.1 was an independent operating system, had its own bootloader. Upon completion, the system did not go to MS-DOS, and offered to turn off or restart the computer;
• support Unicode. It was the first operating system supporting Unicode at the internal level;
• multiplatform. Windows NT worked not only on 32-bit X86 processors, but also on 64-bit MIPS R4000 and DEC Alpha 21064;
• support for 16-bit OS / 2 programs. Part of the rights to the OS / 2 code remained from Microsoft, so this and all subsequent versions of Windows NT could run such programs;
• compatibility with POSIX 1.0 applications at the source code level;
• support for symmetric multiprocessing (up to 16 processors);
• support for file systems: own NTFS and HPFs inherited from OS / 2. In both systems, in contrast to FAT, you could use long file names, up to 255 characters;
• improved network capabilities. In addition to supported NetBeUI and IPX protocols, SMB, TCP / IP and SNMP were added;
• the editor of the tree registry in which all system settings were stored.

Windows NT 3.1 had the same user interface as Windows 3.1, and went out in two editions - Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server. Subsequently, three update packages (Service Pack) came out for this system, and in September 1994 appeared a new version - 3.5. Compatibility with NetWare networks, support for long file names in FAT, Support OpenGL API, improved 16-bit software for Windows and MS-DOS (each work now in its own address space). Like the predecessor, it went out in two editions - Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server. In May 1995, Windows NT 3.51 appeared. The differences from the previous version were insignificant: the installation program with a new graphical interface, a new reference system with content and support for POWERPC processors. For NT 3.5, three Service Pack was released, for 3.51 - five.

Simultaneously with the NT 3.51 output, the Shell Technology Preview package appears, providing a new interface with the "Start" menu. This interface was implemented by default in Windows 95 in two months, and in August 1996 - in Windows NT 4.0. In addition to the new interface, the fourth version of the system was characterized by improved network capabilities (included in the standard Internet Explorer 2.0, IIS and DNS server, support for multi-protocol routing), new technology DCOM and a large number of editors. In addition to Workstation and Server, in 1997, the Server Enterprise Edition was released with improved scalability and limited cluster support, and in 1998 - Terminal Server with the ability to remotely connect users. In addition, a special version for embedded systems was developed - Windows NT 4.0 Embedded. For NT 4.0, 7 Service Pack was released, the last version was called 6.0a.

In September 1997 and August 1998, two beta versions of the operating windows systems NT 5.0, and in October 1998, it was renamed Windows 2000. The release of this system took place in February 2000. New features included: Active Directory directory service, Plug & Play technology support file System FAT32, new versions of network programs (IE 5.0 and IIS 5.0), improved encryption capabilities (including support for Encrypted File System), built-in remote administration tools. Unlike NT 4.0, Windows 2000 worked only on the IA-32 architecture, and was produced in four edits: Professional, Server, Advanced Server and Datacenter Server. For Windows 2000, 4 Service Pack came out, and in August 2001, a 64-bit version of Advanced Server for ITANIUM processors appeared.

The new version of NT 5.1 appeared in October 2001 called Windows XP and was the development of Windows 2000 Professional. The main changes were an improved user interface, quick user switching, improved remote administration, system recovery function and rollback of driver installation. The system received two packages of updates and went out in the following editions:

• Professional (basic version);
• HOME (with truncated network capabilities);
• Media Center Edition (with optional multimedia applications);
• Starter Edition (strongly limited, without network functions);
• 64-bit Edition (for ITANIUM processors);
• x64 EDITION (for processors with AMD64 or EM64T extensions);
• N (without Windows Media. Player);
• Tablet PC Edition (for tablet computers);
• Embedded (for embedded systems).

In April 2003, the Windows XP server variation was released, called Windows Server 2003 and having an internal version 5.2. Differences from Windows XP: Enabled Platform .NET and IIS 6.0 Web Server, Improving Active Directory, Built-in firewallAdvanced utility set for system administration. The system came out in four editions: Web Edition, Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition and Datacenter Edition. The last three of them also came out in versions for 64-bit X86 processors, and Enterprise and Datacenter are also for itanium. In 2005, two updates, Service Pack 1 and R2 appeared.

Story Development

The development of Windows NT under the working title "NT OS / 2" was launched in November 1988 by a group of specialists led by David Cutler (Eng. Dave Cutler ), Which has moved to Microsoft from Dec, where they developed VAX and VMS. The work went parallel to the development of IBM's own OS, OS / 2 2, which finally came out only in April 1992. At the same time, Microsoft continued to develop its own DOS and Windows family, characterized by smaller computer resource requirements than IBM OS / 2. After Windows 3.0 was released in May 1990, Microsoft decided to add to the NT OS / 2 software interface (API) compatible with Windows API. This decision caused serious friction between Microsoft and IBM firms, which ended with the gap collaboration. IBM continued the development of OS / 2 independently, and Microsoft began working on the system that was as a result of the Windows NT. Although this system did not immediately become popular, like DOS, Windows 3.x or Windows 9.x, from the point of view of Windows NT marketing turned out to be significantly more successful than OS / 2.

It should be noted that an OS / 2 API was originally planned as NT software interfaces and then POSIX, Windows API support was added last. In addition, Intel i860 was initially planned as an NT hardware platform and then MIPS, Intel X86 support was also added later. Then, in the process of evolution, this OS disappeared support for both initially planned programming interfaces and both initially planned hardware platforms. For i860, there was not even a single release version of this OS, although it was from the code name of this processor, N10 (N TEN), the name of the NT OS itself occurs. Now Microsoft decrypts the NT abbreviation as New Technology.. And as an alternative to the Microsoft POSIX subsystem, the Microsoft Windows service package for UNIX has become offered.

For the development of the NT OS, Microsoft invited a group of specialists from DEC led by David Cutler ( english), who has experience in creating multitasking operating systems, such as VAX / VMS and RSX-11. Some similarity marked between the internal architectures of Windows NT and the VMS family, gave grounds to accuse newly adopted Microsoft employees in the theft of DEC intellectual property. The resulting conflict was permitted peaceful way: DEC recognized Microsoft's property on technology lying in windows-based NT, and Microsoft has created and supported the version of Windows NT for the Dec Alpha architecture.

Despite the overall roots, Windows NT and OS / 2 compatibility decreased with each new release of this OS. Support for API OS / 2 2.0, although it was planned in NT and was not completed; Windows NT 4.0 supported HPFS file system support, and Windows XP has been removed for OS / 2 1.x support subsystem.

Version

Name ( code name), options	version number	first edition	last issue /
Windows NT 3.1.	3.1.528	July 27.	SP3 (November 10)
	Workstation, Advanced Server
Windows NT 3.5 ( Daytona.)	3.5.807	September 21	SP3 (June 21)
	Workstation, Server
Windows NT 3.51 ( Tukwila.)	3.51.1057	May 30	SP5 (September 19)
	Workstation, Server
Windows NT 4.0 ( Indy)	4.0.1381	July 29	SP6A (November 30)
	Workstation, Server, Server Enterprise ( Granite), Terminal Server ( Hydra.), Embedded ( Impala.)
Windows 2000 ( Cairo.)	5.0.2195	February 17	SP4 (June 26)
	Professional, Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server
Windows XP ( Whistler)	5.1.2600	the 25th of October	SP3 (May 6)
	Home, Professional, 64-Bit, Media Center ( ehome.), Tablet PC, Starter, Embedded ( Mantis.), N; Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCS ( Eiger.)
Windows Server 2003 ( Whistler Server., Windows .NET Server)	5.2.3790	April 24th	SP2 (May 13)
	Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, Small Business Server ( Bobcat.), Compute Cluster Server, Storage Server; Windows XP Professional X64
Windows Vista ( Longhorn.)	6.0.6000	January 30	SP2 (May 25)
	Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, Ultimate, N Home Basic, N Business; X64 options all except Starter
Windows Server 2008 ( Longhorn Server)	6.0.6001	February 27	SP2 (May 27)
	Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, HPC, Web, Storage, Small Business ( Cougar.), Essential Business ( Centro.), Itanium; X64 options all except HPC
Windows 7 ( Blackcomb., Vienna.)	6.1.7600	22 of October	SP1 (KB976932) (February 22)
	Primary, home basic, home extended, professional, corporate, maximum, windows 7 n, windows 7 e; X64 options of all other than initial
Windows Server 2008 R2	6.1.7600	22 of October	SP1 (KB976932) (February 22)
	Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, HPC, Web, Storage, Small Business, Itanium; All versions - only 64-bit
Windows 8.	6.2.9200	October 26.	Pro (October 26)
	Windows 8, Windows 8 RT, Professional, Professional N, Professional WMC, Corporate, Corporate N; X64 options of all other than Windows RT
Windows Server 2012.	6.2.9200	October 26.	RTM (August 1)
	Standard, Datacenter, Storage; All versions - only 64-bit

Internal architecture

Nuclear components

Components of user regime

The user interface subsystem in Windows NT implements the window interface similar to the interface previous versions Windows. Two types of objects of this subsystem that were absent in 16-bit versions of Windows and in Windows 9X are window stations and working tables. The window station complies with one Windows NT user session - for example, when connected via a remote desktop service, a new window station is created. Each running process belongs to one of the window stations; Services, except labeled as capable of interacting with the desktop, are launched in separate, invisible window stations.

Each window station has its own clipboard, a set of global atoms (used for DDE operations), and a set of desktops. The desktop is the context of all global user interface subsystem operations, such as installing hooks and broadcast messages. Each running stream belongs to one of the working tables - where the windows serviced by them are located; In particular, one thread cannot create several windows belonging to various desktops. One desktop can be active (visible to the user and able to respond to its actions), the remaining working tables are hidden. The ability to create for one session of work several desktops and switching to the present to date standard means User windows interfaceAlthough there are third-party programs that give access to this functionality.

Window stations and desktops exhaust the objects of the Windows NT user interface subsystem, which can be assigned access rights. The remaining types of objects - window and menu - Provide full access to any process that is located with them in one window station. therefore windows services The default is launched in separate window stations: they work with elevated privileges, and the ability of the user processes to unlimited manipulate service windows could lead to failures and / or security issues.

Software interfaces

Native API.

For application applications, the Windows NT system provides several API sets. The main one is the so-called "native" API ( NT Native API), implemented in a dynamically plug-in Ntdll.dll library and consisting of two parts: NT kernel calls (functions with NT and ZW prefixes, transmitting the functions of ntoskrnl.exe with the same names) and functions implemented in user mode (with prefix RTL). Part of the functions of the second group are used inside the system calls; The remaining entirely consists of an unprivileged code, and can be called not only from the code of the user mode, but also from the drivers. In addition to the Native API functions, the NTDLL also includes the functions of the standard Language Language Language.

The official documentation on the Native API API is very scarce, but the enthusiast communities managed by samples and errors to collect enough extensive information about this interface. In particular, in February 2000, the book Gary Nebeta was published " Guide for basic functions API Windows NT / 2000"(ISBN 1-57870-199-6); In 2002, it was translated into Russian (ISBN 5-8459-0238-X). The source of information about the Native API can serve as a Windows DDK, which describes some kernel features available through the Native API, as well as learning windows code (Reverse Engineering) - by disassembling, or using the source texts of Windows 2000, which are available as a result of leakage, or using the source code of Windows 2003, available as part of the Windows Research Kernel program.

Programs running before loading subsystems providing the rest of the Windows NT APIs are limited to the use of the Native API. For example, AUTOCHK program that checks wheels when booting an OS after incorrect completion of work, uses only Native API.

Win32 API.

Most often, Windows NT applications are used by Win32 API - an interface created based on Windows 3.1 API, and allows you to recompile existing programs for 16-bit versions of Windows with minimal changes in the source code. The compatibility of the Win32 API and 16-bit Windows API is so large that 32-bit and 16-bit applications can freely exchange messages, work with each other windows, etc. In addition to supporting the functions of the existing Windows API, a number has also been added to Win32 API New features, including support for console programs, multithreading, and synchronization objects, such as mutexes and semaphores. The Win32 API documentation is included in Microsoft Platform SDK and is available on the website.

Win32 API support libraries are mostly named as well as Windows 3.x system libraries, with the addition of suffix 32: These are Kernel32, Advapi32, GDI32, User32, Comctl32, COMDLG32, SHELL32, and a number of others. The Win32 API functions can either independently implement the required functionality in user mode, or invoke the Native API functions described above, or access the CSRSS subsystem by the LPC mechanism ( english), Or carry out a system call to the Win32K library that implements the support needed for Win32 API. Four listed options can also be combined in any combination: for example, the WriteFile Win32 function appeals to the NTive API NTWRITEFILE function to write to disk file.and causes the corresponding CSRSS function to output into the console.

Win32 API support is included in the Windows 9X OS family; In addition, it can be added to Windows 3.1X installation of the Win32S package. To facilitate the transfer of existing Windows applications using MBCS encoding strings, all Win32 API functions that take the row parameters were created in two versions: functions with suffix A ( Ansi.) take MBCS strings, and functions with the suffix W ( wide) Take rows in the UTF-16 encoding. In Win32S and Windows 9X, only A-functions are supported, whereas in Windows NT, where all rows inside the OS are stored exclusively in UTF-16, each A-function simply converts its string parameters to Unicode and causes a W version of the same function. In the library supplied H-files, the names of the functions without suffix are also defined, and the use of A- or W-version functions is determined by the compilation options, and in Delphi modules until 2010 version, for example, they are tightly tied to the options with the suffix A. It is important to note that most of the new features that appeared in Windows 2000 or later OS of the Windows NT family exist only in the Unicode version, because the task of ensuring compatibility with old programs and with Windows 9X is no longer worth so acute as before.

POSIX and OS / 2

The first edition of Windows NT 4 supported four platforms (X86, Alpha, Mips and PowerPC), but support for less common platforms was reduced as the update package is output: MIPS support was removed from SP1, from SP3 - PowerPC support. The latest issues of Windows NT 4 were maintained only x86 and alpha; Although ALPHA support was planned to enable in Windows 2000, it was excluded from the RC2 version. As a result, the only platform supported by Windows 2000 became x86.

Support for 64-bit processors was first implemented in Windows XP for IA-64 - Intel Itanium processor architecture. Based on the 64-bit version of Windows XP, 64-bit server versions of Windows 2000 were also created; Later, the ITANIUM processor support was added to the version of Windows Server 2003. The second 64-bit architecture supported by the Windows NT family was created by AMD architecture X86-64, later implemented in intel processors called EM64T. At the same time, Windows Server 2003 SP1 X64 and Windows XP Professional X64 were released, which are server and desktop options for the same version of Windows - in particular, the same updates apply to these releases. Since 2005, Microsoft has been decided to stop supporting IA-64.; last version Windows NT, fully supporting itanium, is Windows NT 5.2 (XP Professional 64-Bit Edition and Server 2003). However, for more expensive (and, accordingly, more difficult to upgraded) servers produced special versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012 supported IA-64 has no longer received.

Notes

see also

• ReactOS - Operating system with open sourceCompatible with applications and Windows NT drivers.