More Code Names
By the time Longhorn ships, Whidbey is expected to be replaced by an even more sophisticated version of VS—code-named Orcas—with support for Longhorn's extensive set of managed APIs, new UI tools, an improved security model, and the WinFS data-storage model. The Yukon database engine that WinFS uses will provide integration with the Whidbey and Orcas versions of the Windows .NET Framework and class libraries, access to data in native formats (including XML), an enhanced programming model with improved security by using .NET managed code, and the ability to create Web services in the database tier.
Many other products are scheduled for release in the Longhorn time frame, and one will be of particular interest to enterprise IT managers: The Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI)—code-named Whitehorse—can automatically generate physical and logical views of your network, then let you test a system for compatibility before actually deploying it.
You might ask, What is the Longhorn time frame? Microsoft is being deliberately vague about that. During a talk at Gartner Spring Symposium 2004 in San Diego, Gates confirmed longheld suspicions of industry onlookers: Microsoft won't ship its next-generation Windows version until at least 2006. He added that this new date doesn't necessarily represent a delay and that Longhorn has never been a date-driven release. For more detailed information about Longhorn, see "Resources," page 41.