Midori: The Post-Windows Operating System
Group
1
Emily Hillis, Leigh Ann Reed, and Matthew Hall
Key Words: Cloud computing, .NET, connected
systems, managed code, Windows Hyper-V hypervisor, nodes, Asynchronous Prom=
ise
Architecture, Singularity, kernel layer, Resource Management Infrastructure,
Scheduling.
Microsoft
has been researching to find a post-windows operating system. According to many sources, Midori will =
be
created from the ground up because our needs of this operating system canno=
t be
met by evolving the current technology.
Midori will be developed from the ideas used in Microsoft Research’s
Singularity operating system. The
research mentions one of Microsoft’s goals is “to provide options for Midori
applications to co-exist and interoperate with existing Windows application=
s,
as well as to provide a migration path.”
However, many find that the research does not accommodate the existi=
ng
windows applications, similar to our situation with Windows Vista, and in m=
any
ways Midori will be seen as a complicating factor.
Midori
will be designed with an asynchronous-only architecture and it will always
assume that the user is online. It=
will
treat concurrency as the foundation of its existence because of the prevale=
nce
of connected systems. Midori’s too=
ls and
libraries are completely managed code. It
will run directly on native hardware (x86, x64, and ARM), and have the
possibility to be hosted on the Windows Hyper-V hypervisor. Microsoft’s research on this possibility
shows us how much technology has changed since the first version of Windows=
since
the PC was the user’s only device =
and
the internet as we know it today was not in existence.
The
Midori documentation is said to foresee applications being ran on many
different topologies, from client-server and multi-tier, to peer-to-peer, a=
nd
in the cloud data center where they will allow capabilities to exist in
separate places. To do this, Midor=
i will
present a higher-level application model that extracts the details of physi=
cal
machines and processors, internally known as Asynchronous Promise
Architecture. Midori will have clo=
ud
computing where application components exist in data centers. If Midori does use this, services such =
as
storage would be provided by the OS or across a “trusted distributed
environment.”
Programming
with Midori is said to be simpler than it currently is in Windows. It should be specifically useful for
service-oriented architectures because it will allow for the decomposition =
of
applications into services. These
services can be partitioned across the different tiers. Midori is also said to have “a non-bloc=
king
object-oriented framework API,” a strong concept of immutability, and it wo=
uld
give great validity by using .NET programming languages. Midori applications would be created by=
.NET
languages and assembled to native code by using the Bartok complier and run=
time
system. The Bartok complier is sai=
d to
be able to typecheck machine code for programmi=
ng
errors which would be great for the creation of applications in the
environment.
Midori
is intended to be componentized from the beginning to provide the best
performance and security benefits. It
will have solid isolation margins and it will enforce contracts between
components to ensure that the maintenance of one component will not cause
others to stop working. The bottom=
line
of Midori will contain two kernel layers.
A microkernel that contains unmanaged code that will control hardware
and a higher-level managed kernel services that furnishes the operating sys=
tem
functionality. The OS will have a
recently created framework for the scheduling of all types of devices. The framework is known by Microsoft as
Resource Management Infrastructure that will have the specifications for
resource accounting including IO bandwidth, memory, power, and response
time.
The
business world will be impacted by Midori because it will be more
virtually-oriented than any other OS we have ever seen. Its software will fully harness the pow=
er of
the computer even though it will contain many cores on a single chip. Another unfortunate impact is that if M=
idori
does make its way to the market, it may not solve problems for Microsoft li=
ke
they had hoped. Since Midori is
completely separate from Windows and has different goals, it is not designed
for complete compatibility with Windows.
That seems like it would be a problem for many people in the business
world itself. A similar situation =
was
the introduction of Windows Vista to the business community which created a=
lot
of problems because of its incompatibility with Windows XP. If users had a hard time with a more ev=
olved
Windows OS, then it stands to reason that they would have several issues wi=
th a
completely rebuilt operating system.
Another
impact would be the cloud computing service which would make it less relian=
t on
a specific piece of hardware than existing versions of Windows. Midori will store data on a central Mic=
rosoft
Server and remove the storage service from the single PC. This seems as a bit of a concern for ma=
ny
businesses because this means they are relying on a third party company
corporate network for the storage of their data. I imagine this will not go over too wel=
l for
many users. Only research after implementation will show us the true impact=
it
will have.
The
idea of creating an internet-centric operating system that is based on the
predominance of connected systems is something that we have needed for some
time now. Creating and implementin=
g a
managed code operating system like Midori is a pivotal move for Microsoft.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> They have put a great deal of work in to
creating their own form of asynchronous-only architecture called APA. The only remaining major change will be=
to
the programming world and it seems there will be nothing but positive chang=
es
in that area. Microsoft believes
programming will be easier using Midori than it is now with Windows, which =
is
saying a lot from the mouth of Microsoft. =
Technology is already leading us to comparable ideas, for example, t=
he prevalence
of mobile devices connected to the internet in our society. Midori will allow a user to travel with=
out
the worry of where their data is stored.
Implementation will be the true test to how great Midori will impact=
us.
References=
Midori (operating system). (2008,
September 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclo=
pedia.
Retrieved September 16, 2008 from http://en.=
wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=3DMidori_(operating_system)&oldid=3D240=
383092
Singularity. (2008). Retrieved September =
20,
2008 from =
http://res=
earch.microsoft.com/os/singularity/
Worthington,
David (2008, September 16). Microso=
ft’s
plans for post-Windows OS revealed. Retrieved September 16, 2008 from <=
/span>http://www.sdtimes.com/link/32627
Midori
Group Numb=
er 1
1.
Midori
a Windows Operating system.
a.&n=
bsp;
True
b.&n=
bsp;
False
2.
What
will be assumed of the user when using the Midori OS?
a.&n=
bsp;
The
user is an expert.
b.&n=
bsp;
The
user is online.
c.&n=
bsp;
The
user has had training in the use of Midori.
d.&n=
bsp;
The
user knows how to program.
3.
Midori
is a stem off of what current Microsoft Research project?
a.&n=
bsp;
Windows
7
b.&n=
bsp;
.NET
programming language
c.&n=
bsp;
Oslo
d.&n=
bsp;
Singularity
4. Cloud computing allows users to store information on a central Microsoft Server.<= o:p>
a.&n=
bsp;
True
b.&n=
bsp;
False
5.
Midori
is said to be implemented in…
a.&n=
bsp;
10
Years
b.&n=
bsp;
7
Months
c.&n=
bsp;
3
Years
d.&n=
bsp;
The
date of implementation is not released.