September 29, 1997

Microsoft Aims To Simplify Distributed Applications Architecture for NT is designed for meeting business goals By Stuart J. Johnston , Monua Janah , and Rich Levin icrosoft last week introduced an architecture for creating distributed applications that use Windows NT 5.0. The ambitious goal for the Distributed interNet Applications (DNA) architecture: Make building distributed applications so simple that the process is transparent to developers. "The whole idea is to have you avoid writing code, and let you focus on the business problem that you're trying to s olve," says Jim Allchin, senior VP of Microsoft's personal and business systems group. According to Microsoft, which rolled out DNA at its Professional Developers Conference in San Diego, developers shouldn't have to worry about where the components they use in their applications are located on the network. To that end, Microsoft is also working on an update to its Component Object Model. Called COM+, the updated version will automatically know how to handle calls to cross-network facilities, such as NT's Transaction Server and Message Queue Server middleware. Microsoft also delivered the first beta copies of Windows NT 5.0 to the 6,500 developers attending the conference. NT 5.0 is expected to ship in late 1998. Also at the conference, Microsoft and Cisco Systems published a draft specification for using NT 5.0's Active Directory to manage network services and allocate network resources. More than 20 companies, including 3Com, Compaq Computer, Digital Equipment, and Intel, said they would review the spec. The move could help Active Directory gain acceptance in large Internet service provider and corporate networks, where Cisco is a force. But analysts don't expect Active Directory to be a stable product any time soon-and users don't appear to be in a hurry to adopt it. "Customers are waiting until early 1999 for plans to deploy it," says Shilpa Agarwal, an analyst at Giga Information Group in Cambridge, Mass. Microsoft also announced features slated for the next release of its Visual Studio tools suite, expected in 1998. They include support for new Windows user interface elements, such as Dynamic HTML and Internet Explorer 4.0, and integration with DNA. The upgrade, code-named Aspen, will ship in stages over the next year. But COM+ will not be supported until 1999, officials say. Keith Russell, practice manager with the network services group of Omicron Corp. in Philadelphia, says DNA and COM+ "will make it much easier for us to tap into NT services at the component level, using som ething like Visual Basic, rather than requiring low-level C++ function calls." Back to News in Review Send Us Your Feedback Top of the Page

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