Is windows nt. What versions of the Windows operating system are there?
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Based on the NT (New Technology) kernel, developed by Microsoft Corporation. The system was aimed at corporate users. Windows NT had a graphical user interface and provided the Win32 API - a 32-bit application programming interface for developing new applications that could take advantage of all the capabilities of high-level operating systems, which, in particular, included multithreaded (or multitasking) processes, synchronization, protection against unauthorized access, input/output and object management. Windows NT could interact with other Microsoft operating systems, with Apple Macintosh, with UNIX-like systems over various types of networks. Interaction could occur with both single-processor and multiprocessor computers built using CISC or RISC technologies. Initially, Windows NT developed separately from the Windows 9x family of operating systems and was positioned on the market as a solution for workstations (Windows NT Workstation) and servers (Windows NT Server). Windows NT gave rise to a family of operating systems that includes Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003.
In November 1988, a joint project between IBM and Microsoft began to create operating system a new generation - OS/2 NT, which could run programs written for both Windows and OS/2, and was supposed to be a replacement for both systems. But in May 1990, Windows 3.0 was released, which brought Microsoft commercial success, and the company decided to make the Windows application programming interface (API) the main one in OS/2 NT. This caused dissatisfaction with IBM, which was promoting the OS/2 API. As a result, the contract was terminated, and the companies began to develop the existing common code on their own. The result of IBM's development was OS/2 3.0, and Microsoft's was Windows NT, which appeared in August 1993. Subsequently, it was assigned the number 3.1 to correspond to Windows 3.1, which was released a little earlier. The new system was distinguished from Windows 3.1 by the following features:
- 32-bit. The new system could use all the capabilities of 32-bit processors, including running 32-bit programs and addressing large amounts of memory (up to 4 gigabytes);
- preemptive multitasking. The operating system did not wait until the process itself wanted to free the processor, but forcibly removed it from execution after it had used up the time allotted to it;
- lack of MS-DOS. Windows NT 3.1 was an independent operating system and had its own bootloader. When shutting down, the system did not exit to MS-DOS, but suggested turning off or restarting the computer;
- UNICODE support. It was the first operating system to support UNICODE internally;
- multiplatform. Windows NT ran 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. Microsoft retained some of the rights to the OS/2 code, so this and all subsequent ones Windows versions NT could run such programs;
- Compatible with POSIX 1.0 applications at the source code level;
- support for symmetric multiprocessing (up to 16 processors);
- support for file systems: native NTFS and HPFS, inherited from OS/2. In both systems, unlike FAT, it was possible to use long names files, up to 255 characters;
- improved networking capabilities. In addition to the supported NetBEUI and IPX protocols, SMB, TCP/IP and SNMP have been added;
- tree registry editor in which all system settings were stored.
Windows NT 3.1 had the same user interface, like Windows 3.1, and was released in two editions - Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server. Subsequently, three service packs were released for this system, and in September 1994, a new version- 3.5. Compatibility with NetWare networks, support for long file names in FAT, support for OpenGL API, improved operation of 16-bit programs for Windows and MS-DOS (each now working in its own address space) were added. Like its predecessor, it was published 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 minor: the installer with a new graphical interface, a new reference system with content and support for PowerPC processors. Three Service Packs were released for NT 3.5, and five for 3.51.
Along with the release of NT 3.51, the Shell Technology Preview package appeared, providing new interface from the Start menu. This interface was implemented by default in Windows 95 two months later, and in August 1996 in Windows NT 4.0. In addition to the new interface, the fourth version of the system featured improved network capabilities (included in the standard package) Internet Explorer 2.0, IIS and DNS server, multi-protocol routing support), new DCOM technology and a large number of editions. In addition to Workstation and Server, Server Enterprise Edition was released in 1997 with improved scalability and limited support for clusters, and in 1998 Terminal Server with the ability remote connection users. In addition, a special version for embedded systems was developed - Windows NT 4.0 Embedded. 7 Service Packs were released for NT 4.0, latest version was called 6.0a.
In September 1997 and August 1998, two beta versions of the Windows NT 5.0 operating system were released, 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 and file system FAT32, new versions network programs(IE 5.0 and IIS 5.0), improved encryption capabilities (including Encrypted support File System), built-in remote administration tools. Unlike NT 4.0, Windows 2000 ran only on the IA-32 architecture, and was released in four editions: Professional, Server, Advanced Server and Datacenter Server. For Windows 2000, 4 Service Packs were released, and in August 2001 a 64-bit version appeared Advanced version Server for Itanium processors.
A new version of NT 5.1 appeared in October 2001 under the name Windows XP and was a development of Windows 2000 Professional. The main changes were an improved user interface, fast switching users, improved remote administration, system recovery function and driver installation rollback. The system received two update packages and was released in the following editions:
- Professional (basic version);
- Home (with truncated network capabilities);
- Media Center Edition (with additional multimedia applications);
- Starter Edition (highly limited, no online features);
- 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, a server variation of Windows XP was released, called Windows Server 2003 and having an internal version of 5.2. Differences from Windows XP: .NET platform and IIS 6.0 web server included in the installation, improvements in the Active Directory service, built-in firewall, an expanded set of utilities for system administration. The system was released in four editions: Web Edition, Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition and Datacenter Edition. The last three of them were also released in versions for 64-bit x86 processors, and Enterprise and Datacenter also for Itanium. In 2005, two updates appeared, Service Pack 1 and R2.
Windows NT is not a further development of previously existing products. Its architecture was created from scratch, taking into account the requirements for a modern operating system. The features of the new system developed based on these requirements are listed below.
In an effort to ensure compatibility of the new operating system, the Windows NT developers retained the familiar 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 developers also included in Windows NT tools for working with various network tools.
The portability of the system has been achieved, which can now run on both CISC and RISC processors. CISC includes Intel compatible processors 80386 and higher; RISC is represented by systems with MIPS R4000, Digital Alpha AXP and Pentium P54 series processors and higher .
Scalability means that Windows NT is not tied to a single-processor computer architecture, but is able to take full advantage of the capabilities provided by symmetric multiprocessor systems. Currently Windows time NT can operate on computers with a number of processors from 1 to 32. In addition, if the tasks facing users become more complex and the demands placed on computer environment requirements, Windows NT makes it easy
add more powerful and productive servers and workstations to the corporate network. Additional benefits allows the use of a single development environment for both servers and workstations.
Windows NT has a uniform security system that meets US government specifications and meets the B2 security standard. In an enterprise environment, critical applications are provided with a completely isolated environment.
Distributed processing means that Windows NT has networking capabilities built into the system. Windows NT also allows communication with different types of host computers by supporting a variety of transport protocols and using high-level client-server facilities, including named pipes, remote procedure calls (RPC) and Windows sockets.
Reliability and robustness are provided by architectural features that protect application programs from damage to each other and the operating system.
Windows NT uses fault-tolerant structured exception handling at all architectural levels, which includes a recoverable NTFS file system and provides protection through built-in security and advanced memory management techniques.
Localization capabilities provide tools for working in many countries of the world in national languages, which is achieved by using the ISO Unicod standard (developed by the international organization for standardization).
Windows NT Concepts The Windows NT operating system is available in two flavors: Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation. Windows NT Server 4.0 is a network operating system with Internet applications, file and print services, remote access service, built-in router, file indexing and network management. Second NT - Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is similar in many ways to NT Server, but it is optimized as an operating system for workstation. In terms of architecture and capabilities, Windows NT Server is a superset of Windows NT Workstation and includes all the features of the latter. Further, in cases where it is not indicated which OS is meant, the comments apply to both.
The Origins of Windows NT
Start of work on creating Windows NT falls at the end of 1988. Microsoft has appointed David Cutler to lead a new project in the field software: OS development new technology(New Technology - NT). David Cutler was the main consultant for DEC, he worked for this company for 17 years, developing OS and compilers: VAX/VMS, OS for MicroVAX I, OS RSX-11M, VAX PL/1, VAX C compilers.
At first, Windows NT was developed as a lightweight version of OS/2 (OS/2 Lite), which, by trimming some functions, could run on less powerful machines. However, over time, after seeing how well Windows 3.0 was accepted by consumers, Microsoft refocused and began developing an improved version of Windows 3.1. Microsoft's new strategy was to create a single family of Windows-based 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 Windows systems was called, is the highest level in the hierarchy Windows family. This operating system originally supported a familiar graphical user interface (GUI) Windows user, was the first fully 32-bit OS from Microsoft. The Win32 API, a programming interface for developing new applications, made improved OS properties available to applications, such as multi-threaded processes, synchronization, security, I/O, and object management.
The conceptual advantages of Windows NT over the MS-DOS/Windows 3.1 pair were obvious. Its 32-bit basis, coupled with true multitasking and multi-threading, significantly increased the potential of the system.
The first operating systems of the NT family - Windows NT 3.1 and Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 - appeared in July 1993. The code name for the next version of Windows NT 3.5, Daytona, which coincides with the name of a Florida speedway, may have indicated that its main advantage was speed. Indeed, the performance of version 3.5 increased by 1.5 times compared to version 3.1, and after its appearance, many corporate users who rejected version 3.1 for one reason or another reconsidered their attitude to the NT line: in 1995, Windows NT's share of its market sector increased by 2 times and amounted to 15%.
Features of the Windows NT 4.0 version
Released in August 1996 next version Windows NT 4.0. This next version of Windows NT was initially expected to be numbered 3.52, but it was given the number 4.0, which had previously been mentioned in the computer press in connection with another expected version of Windows NT, codenamed Cairo. Perhaps this is due to the fact that this latest version (Windows NT 4.0) has so many new important properties that require more significant changes to the encoding. The innovations introduced in Windows NT Server 4.0 are mainly related to improvements in the user interface, expanded Internet support, the emergence of new and modernization of existing administration tools, and improved system performance.
Windows NT 4.0 introduced many significant changes, the most significant of which are:
implementation of the interface in the style of Windows 95;
orientation towards the Internet and intranet;
architectural changes that dramatically increased graphics performance;
modification of tools for interacting with NetWare - Gateway and the NCP client now support NDS;
support for multi-protocol routing;
the appearance in Windows NT 4.0 of an emulator of Intel processors for RISC platforms.
There are other improvements in version 4.0. For example, Windows NT Server 4.0 has significantly improved scalability compared to Windows NT Server 3.51, allowing you to achieve significantly higher performance on computers with 4 processors, and also provides linear performance growth on machines with eight or more processors.
The performance of Windows NT Server 4.0 when working as a file server also increased significantly and exceeded Windows performance NT Server 3.51, according to some data, more than 2 times.
New administrative Windows tools NT can run remotely on Windows 95 clients. In addition, Windows NT Server provides a remote boot service for Windows 95 clients. (This is useful for diskless workstations.)
Windows NT 4.0 features a new Windows 95-style graphical user interface. While some users may not necessarily like the change, Microsoft is restoring the "one-size-fits-all" approach that was originally considered one of Windows NT's strengths. In a network with client stations running Windows 95 or Windows NT (or in a mixed network that includes such stations), Windows NT Server administrators can perform their functions using the same interface as workstation users.
Apart from external changes, the modernization of the graphical interface did not greatly affect the methods of network management. The basic Windows NT Server administrator tools remain the same. The 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 programs have not undergone significant changes. Remote Access Administrator is also unchanged, but has now been moved from a separate folder to the Administrative Tools menu. The new System Policy Editor, compatible with both Windows NT and Windows 95, replaces the User Profile Editor familiar from Windows NT Server 3.x. Version 4.0 includes four additions: the Administrative Wizards, the already mentioned System Policy Editor, as well as an enhanced Windows NT Diagnostics tool and the Network Monitor program (a network monitoring program previously supplied only as part of the Microsoft Systems Management Server product).
Administrative Wizards allow you to easily, step-by-step, perform actions such as creating user accounts, managing user groups, controlling access to files and directories, installing a new printer, installing and uninstalling programs, connecting a modem, preparing installation diskette packages for new clients and monitoring compliance with license agreements for installed programs. All this will be useful for those administrators who find that, despite the presence of a graphical interface, Windows NT management tools are still complex.
Windows NT 4.0 has several useful system monitoring components derived from Microsoft's Systems Management Server. The main application is the Performance Monitor tool, which graphically monitors selected system events. In particular, Performance Monitor can be used to obtain CPU load diagrams, total I/O network cards and the number of bytes transferred via HTTP.
Another application, Monitor Tool, is also capable of capturing and monitoring network traffic coming and going from an NT computer. The monitoring scenario (for example, a description of which protocol frames need to be monitored, which traffic characteristics to measure, from which workstations or users) can be saved and reused if necessary.
The set of wizard programs is still far from functionally complete. For example, it does not have a program that would move a user's budget from one domain to another, that is, it would carry out the procedures associated with the need to delete one account and create another one.
Other innovations in Windows NT Server 4.0 are primarily related to the Internet and intranet. An important place among them is occupied by the following software components included in the delivery kit:
Internet Information Server (IIS) version 2.0 is a Microsoft product that provides Web, ftp and gopher server services; the capabilities of Internet Information Server are comparable and, in a number of tests, superior to the similar popular product Server Netscape. Microsoft Internet Information Server 2.0 is the fastest Web server for Windows NT Server - it is 40 percent faster than its predecessor, version 1.0;
Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), which provides secure communication between components over the Internet;
DNS/WINS Server, which allows you to easily find the necessary Web sites on the Internet or intranet networks;
PPTP (point-to-point tunneling protocol) technology, which expands the functionality of the remote server Windows access NT Server (RAS) and provides the ability to create private networks on the Internet;
the FrontPage program, which allows you to create Web pages based on a variety of templates, check the correctness of links and perform general management of the created Web sites;
Microsoft Search Server index server, which allows you to easily find information on distributed intranet servers within any documents, including those created in Microsoft Office.
Two means new system, designed to work on the Internet, are of particular interest to administrators. First is the DNS name service. It allows the use of DNS names, but only supports static addressing. To remove this limitation, Microsoft offers integration DNS services and WINS, calling this combination "true dynamic DNS." Now, when a WINS client needs to determine the IP address that corresponds to a symbolic NetBIOS name, it looks first at the WINS database and then at DNS itself. Thus, the system can use both dynamically recognized WINS names and static DNS names on equal terms.
In addition, Windows NT 4.0 included a Web-based administration utility that provides access to Windows NT administration tools from any Web browser. For security reasons, remote administration should use Web browsers that can log the user directly to the Windows NT server (ie, such as Internet Explorer) or support the SSL protocol.
One of the improvements is due to the fact that the increasing role of the Internet and client-server systems leads to an increase in the number mobile users. In this regard, Microsoft has improved RAS (improved ISDN support) and provided tools for securely working with RAS over the Internet. RAS implements the PPTP protocols (creates encrypted traffic over the Internet) and Multilink PPP (allows you to combine several channels into one). Clients can be Windows NT 4.0 Workstation or Windows 95.
The Distributed Component Object Model is another key addition to Windows NT Server 4.0. The object link model (COM) allows software developers to create applications that consist of individual components. The Distributed Component Model (DCOM) in Windows NT Server 4.0 extends COM in a way that allows individual components to communicate over the Internet. DCOM is a growing Internet standard published according to the format defined in the RFC 1543 specifications.
When developing Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft decided to sacrifice stability for performance. To this end, changes were made to the architecture: the window manager and GDI libraries, as well as graphics adapter drivers, were moved from user mode to kernel mode. This change marks a departure from the microkernel concept adopted in previous versions of Windows NT 3.x.
Moving the graphics library and drivers into the kernel area improves the speed of graphics I/O. These changes especially affected the execution speed of Win32 applications, while Windows-16 applications and DOS graphical applications performed approximately the same as in version 3.5.
At the same time, the changes described make the operating system, in principle, less reliable. Indeed, since graphics adapter software is usually developed by the manufacturers of this equipment, and this software often changes (along with the hardware), it is difficult to expect from it the reliability that is required for operating system modules.
New Windows properties NT 5.0
Expected at the end of 1997 emergence of Windows NT 5.0 - an improved version of Windows NT. Not only will it be a fully 32-bit system, but it will also be a fully object-oriented system. The basis of Windows NT 5.0 is an object-oriented file system, implemented based on the OLE 2.0 standard, which allows you to store objects rather than files. The object-oriented approach allows you to cost-effectively ensure the correctness of multiple copies of data, such as documents, spreadsheets, applications and other types of information stored on different machines on the network.
Windows NT 5.0 promises a lot, and the innovations will primarily affect the following subsystems:
Active Directory - global help desk, which develops a 2-tier approach to DNS name resolution. Active Directory contains information not only about files, but also about other types of objects, for example:
Computer name, IP address, Username, password, mailing address, Application name, computer, version, access rights.
Distributed File System (Dfs) - distributed file system (freely available at www.microsoft.com). Directories 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 subtrees of one share can consist of file systems not only from Microsoft, but also from Novell NCP and Sun NFS.
Some branches of a distributed file system can be replicated transparently at the administrator's discretion.
Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) - software objects (ActiveX or others) can be distributed across network servers and called by applications from any computer. Information about the location of objects is registered in Active Directory. Security features: Windows NT 5.0 will verify document permissions using Kerberos or electronic signature
, and the transmission of documents over the network will be implemented using encryption.
Hardware requirements
There are different opinions about whether Windows NT makes high hardware demands. Some people think that they are too high, while others consider these requirements to be quite acceptable. It all depends on what tools or what fleet of computer equipment is available to a potential Windows NT consumer, and what tasks he faces. To run Windows NT Workstation 4.0, the computer must have a processor of at least i486 (in this version of the system, Microsoft has abandoned any support for i386 processors), at least 12 MB of RAM and 108 MB of disk space. And although this OS is quite functional on computers with RAM
less than 16 MB, but it is recommended to install it with RAM capacity twice the minimum, i.e. 24 MB, and free disk space of at least 216 MB. It is possible to run Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on a system with fewer 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: a minimum i486 processor, 16 MB of RAM, and at least 148 MB of contiguous free disk space. To get acquainted with functionality this system may be sufficient, but for the “industrial” use of these minimum requirements clearly not enough. For a server with low or medium load (determined by the number of users served), 32 MB of RAM and hard drive
A complete list of hardware that has been tested for compatibility with Windows NT is contained in the system and server documentation www.microsoft.com.
Regions using Windows NT
With high performance, stability, advanced security features, and a wide range of basic system functions, Windows NT Server can find applications in various areas, and, above all, it can be used as a server in corporate network. Here, its ability to perform the functions of a domain controller is very useful, which allows you to structure the network and thereby simplify administration and management tasks. It is also used as a file server, print server, application server, remote access server and communication server (software router).
Clients on a network with Windows NT Server can be computers with different operating systems installed on them. Standard support: Windows NT Workstation, MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, UNIX clones, Macintosh. Basic clients come standard with Windows NT Server.
Windows NT Server is a powerful platform for complex network applications, especially those built using client-server technology. Combined with BackOffice servers, it can satisfy a very wide range of enterprise user needs. So, a database server can run under Windows NT Server SQL Server Microsoft, as well as database servers from other well-known companies, such as Oracle and Sybase, Adabas and InterBase database servers.
The powerful Microsoft administration system can be installed on the Windows NT Server platform System Management Server, whose functions are to inventory the hardware and software configuration of network computers, automatic installation software products for workstations, remote control of any computer and network monitoring.
Windows NT Server can be used as a communications server with IBM mainframes and IBM AS400 systems. For this purpose, a special product, Microsoft SNA Server, has been created, which makes it possible to easily combine IBM PC-compatible workstations and powerful mainframes on one network. SNA Sever is a gateway that allows workstation access to both LAN and mainframe servers without the need for two network cards or multiple network protocol stacks. This leads to lower hardware costs and a reduction in the amount of RAM required. Providing transparent access to mainframes, SNA Server, when integrated with NT Server security, provides host access authorization. SNA Server can work with any of the protocols supported by NT Server: IPX/SPX, TCP/IP or NetBEUI.
Windows NT Server is the platform for Microsoft Exchange, a new high-performance groupware package built on top of a mail server.
Finally, the latest version of Windows NT 4.0 is a reliable platform for Internet-oriented applications: Web servers, Web browsers, information retrieval systems, and e-commerce systems on the Internet.
The Windows NT Workstation operating system is positioned primarily as a client in Windows networks NT Server, as well as on NetWare, Unix, Vines networks. In NetWare networks, Windows NT workstations fill a well-known gap - the lack of a good application server. A computer with Windows NT installed on it can be a workstation in peer-to-peer networks, simultaneously performing the functions of both a client and a server. Windows NT Workstation can be used as a standalone computer OS when increased performance or privacy is required, or when implementing complex graphic applications, for example, in computer-aided design systems.
At the end of 1988, Microsoft tasked David Cutler with leading a new software project: creating Microsoft's new operating system for the 1990s. He assembled a team of engineers to develop a New Technology (NT) system.
The original plan was to develop NT with OS/2-style user interfaces and application programming (API) interfaces, but OS/2 sold poorly and Windows 3.0 was a major and ongoing success in the marketplace. After seeing the market pressures and the challenges associated with developing and supporting two incompatible systems, Microsoft decided to change course and direct its engineers toward a single, cohesive operating system strategy. This strategy was to develop a family of Windows-based operating systems that would cover many types of computers, from the smallest laptops to the largest multiprocessor workstations. Thus, the next generation of Windows systems was called Windows NT.
Windows NT supports the Windows graphical user interface (GUI) and is also the first to be based on Windows operating system a Microsoft system that supports Win32 API, a 32-bit programming interface for developing new applications. The Win32 API makes available to applications advanced operating system features such as multi-threaded processes, synchronization, security, I/O, and object management.
In July 1993, the first operating systems of the NT family appeared - Windows NT 3.1 and Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1.
Versions
- Windows NT 3.1 (July 27, 1993)
- Windows NT 3.5 (September 21, 1994)
- Windows NT 3.51 (May 30, 1995)
- Windows NT 4.0 (August 24, 1996)
- Windows 2000 (February 17, 2000)
- Windows XP (October 25, 2001)
- Windows XP 64-bit Edition (March 28, 2003)
- Windows Server 2003 (April 25, 2003)
- Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003 (December 18, 2003)
- Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (October 12, 2004)
- Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (April 25, 2005)
- Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (July 8, 2006)
- Windows Vista (November 30, 2006)
- Windows Home Server (November 7, 2007)
- Windows Server 2008 (February 27, 2008)
Windows NT Structure
Structurally, Windows NT can be represented in two parts: a part of the operating system that runs in user mode, and a part of the operating system that runs in kernel mode.
The part of Windows NT that runs in kernel mode is called the executive part. It includes a number of components that control virtual memory, objects (resources), I/O and file system (including network drivers), process interaction and partly the security system. These components interact with each other using intermodular communication. Each component calls the others using a set of carefully specified internal procedures.
The second part of Windows NT, operating in user mode, consists of servers - the so-called protected subsystems. Since subsystems cannot automatically share memory, they communicate with each other by sending messages. Messages can be transmitted both between a client and a server, and between two servers. All messages pass through the Windows NT executive. The Windows NT kernel schedules threads in protected subsystems in the same way as threads in regular application processes.
Support for protected subsystems is provided by the executive part. Its components are:
- Object manager. Creates, deletes, and manages runtime objects—abstract data types used to represent system resources.
- Security monitor. Establishes protection rules for local computer. Protects operating system resources, protects and registers executable objects.
- Process manager. Creates and terminates, suspends and resumes processes and threads, and also stores information about them.
Virtual memory manager.
- I/O subsystem. Includes the following components:
- an I/O manager that provides device-independent I/O facilities;
- file systems - NT drivers that perform file-oriented I/O requests and translate them into calls to ordinary devices;
- network redirector and network server - file system drivers that transmit remote I/O requests to network machines and receive requests from them;
- executive device drivers - low-level drivers that directly control the device;
- a cache manager that implements disk caching.
The execution part, in turn, relies on lower-level services provided by the NT kernel. Kernel functions include:
- process planning,
- handling interrupts and exceptions,
- processor synchronization for multiprocessor systems,
- system recovery after failures.
The kernel runs in privileged mode and is never removed from memory. The kernel can only be accessed through an interrupt.
Windows NT protected subsystems run in user mode and are created by Windows NT when the operating system boots. Immediately after their creation, they begin an endless cycle of execution, responding to messages coming to them from application processes and other subsystems. Among the protected subsystems, a subclass can be distinguished called environmental subsystems. Environment subsystems implement operating system application interfaces (APIs). Other types of subsystems, called integral subsystems, perform tasks required by the operating system. For example, most of the Windows NT security system is implemented as an integral subsystem; network servers are also implemented as integral subsystems.
The most important subsystem of the environment is Win32, the subsystem that provides application access to the 32-bit Windows API. Additionally, this system provides a graphical interface and manages user input/output.
Each protected subsystem operates in user mode, calling the execution system service to perform privileged actions in kernel mode. Network servers can run in either user mode or kernel mode, depending on how they are designed.
Subsystems communicate with each other by passing messages. When, for example, a user application calls some API procedure, the environment subsystem providing this procedure receives the message and executes it either by accessing the kernel or by sending a message to another subsystem. After the procedure completes, the environment subsystem sends a message to the application containing the return value. Sending messages and other activities of protected subsystems is invisible to the user.
The main tool that holds all Windows NT subsystems together is the Local Procedure Call (LPC) mechanism. LPC is an optimized version of a more general remote procedure call (RPC) tool that is used to communicate between clients and servers located on different cars networks.
In this article we will look at the types of Windows NT operating systems. Windows NT is not Windows2000 or anything else. This is a series, or rather a platform, on the basis of which OS development is carried out. Almost the entire Windows family is based on this platform. In addition to NT, there is also the 9x platform, which includes Windows95, Windows98 and WindowsME.
Due to the fact that there were concerns about the incorrect operation of programs written taking into account older versions of the OS, the 10th version of the operating system was released immediately after the eighth. Otherwise, version 9 could be interpreted by the program as an operating system of the 9 series. Details about what NT is are in this article.
Windows NT(colloquially simply NT) is a line of operating systems (OS) produced by Microsoft Corporation and the name of the first versions of the OS. Windows NT was developed after the end of collaboration between Microsoft and IBM on OS/2, and developed separately from other operating systems of the Windows family (Windows 3.x and Windows 9x).
Unlike Windows 3.x and Windows 9x, Windows NT was positioned as a reliable solution for workstations (Windows NT Workstation) and servers (Windows NT Server). Windows NT gave rise to a family of operating systems that includes: Windows NT itself, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8. Information from the article Windows NT, Wikipedia.
|
Windows OS name |
NT version number |
|---|---|
| Windows NT 4.0 | 4.0.1381 |
| 5.0.2195 | |
| Windows XP | 5.1.2600 |
| 6.0.6000 | |
| Windows 7 | 6.1.7600 |
The number that comes after the letters NT- this is the serial number of the development of an NT-based OS. Now Windows7 (Windows NT6.1) is being released, the seventh development based on NT. Vista - NT6.0, XP - NT5.1, Windows2000 - NT5.0. Win2K is simply a physical interpretation of the number (2K=2000). Windows NT- this is a whole family of OS. You often encounter this when downloading installation and configuration guides or device drivers.
Since Windows95, the operating system interface has not fundamentally changed much. Of course, it has become better, more sophisticated and more convenient, and many new functions have appeared. But a person who worked on Windows 2000 will quite easily get used to subsequent versions of the Windows OS (if we talk about the system interface as a whole). Technically, systems differ from each other, and methods for solving user problems on different systems also differ.
In general, if we describe this family OS, then we can say that the history of the Windows OS is divided into 2 parts - before the release of Windows Vista and after. Microsoft developers did not introduce anything fundamentally new (except for visual effects) into the interface of this version of their OS, but the core of the system was completely rewritten.
Due to the new kernel, compatibility with older programs (the development of which stopped before the release of Vista) and drivers for older devices was lost. This largely explains the notoriety and unpopularity of this version of Windows. In Windows7, the developers took into account the errors; software and hardware manufacturers already had the opportunity to release software and hardware taking into account the new OS requirements, but most old programs and old hardware are no longer supported by this operating system.
Windows version compatibility
To get out of the situation (many industrial programs do not work in Windows7), in the versions of Windows7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate it is possible to run programs from under XP-Mode. XP-Mode is a virtual machine and an image of a licensed WindowsXP. True, the graphical emulation capabilities are at the level of S3 Trio64 without 3D support, that is, the bare minimum.
(NT 6.0)
Almost not used
Actively used
Almost not used
Almost not used
Actively used
Server Windows
| Logo | Version | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Not supported Generally not used |
||
| 1994 | |||
| 1995 | |||
| 1996 | |||
| 2000 | |||
| 2003 | Not supported Still in use |
||
| 2005 | |||
| 2008 | |||
| 2009 | Supported Actively used |
||
| 2012 | |||
| 2013 | |||
| 2016 | |||
| 2018 | Getting started |
All versions of Windows by line + chronology
| Ruler | Years | Listing versions |
|---|---|---|
| 16 bit | 1985 - 1995 | Windows 1 / 2 / 3 |
| 32 bits (9x) |
1995 - 2001 | Windows 95/98/ME |
| NT (32 and 64 bits) |
since 1993 | Windows NT 3.1 / NT 3.5 / NT 3.51 / NT 4.0 Workstation / 2000 / XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 |
| NT Servers (32 and 64 bits) |
since 1993 | Windows NT 3.1 / NT 3.5 / NT 3.51 / NT 4.0 Server / 2000 Server / 2003 / 2003 R2 / 2008 / 2008 R2 / 2012 / 2012 R2 / 2016 / 2019 |
History of success
This success story reflects the frequency of use of the system; the number of glitches encountered by users; reviews.
| Windows 1 | Failure | |
| Windows 2 | Neutral | |
| Windows 3 | Success | |
| Windows 95 | Failure | |
| Windows 98 | Success | |
| Windows Millennium | Failure | |
| Windows 2000 | Neutral | |
| Windows XP | Big success | |
| Windows Vista | Failure | |
| Windows 7 | Success | |
| Windows 8 | Failure | |
| Windows 8.1 | Failure | |
| Windows 10 | Success |
* despite the failure of some versions of the operating system, they carried new functions that were transferred to already successful versions. For example, beautiful icons and windows appeared in the millennium, which were transferred to Windows 2000. Therefore, failure should not be assessed as unsuccessful work.
Windows 1
Years of support: 1985 - 2001. Branch: 16 bit.
Editions: -
What's new
Before Windows 1 there was MS-DOS, so the most important innovation was the graphical interface and the ability to control using the mouse.
System requirements
Windows 3
Years of support: 1990 - 2008. Branch: 16 bit.
Editions: -
What's new
- The first (from Microsoft) user-friendly interface.
- Appearance of the program manager.
- The emergence of multimedia capabilities.
- Network support (from 3.1).
System requirements
Windows NT 3.1
Editions: -
What's new
- The first system based on the NT kernel.
- NTFS file system support.
System requirements
| CPU | Intel 80386 |
|---|---|
| RAM | 2 MB |
| Hard disk capacity | 8 MB |
Windows NT 3.5 Workstation
Editions: -
What's new
- Built-in support for Winsock and TCP/IP.
- The appearance of a DHCP and WINS server and client.
- VFAT support.
System requirements
| CPU | 33 MHz |
|---|---|
| RAM | 12 MB |
| Hard disk capacity | 70 MB |
Windows NT 3.51 Workstation
Editions: -
System requirements
Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Editions: -
System requirements
Windows 98
Years of support: 1998 - 2006. Branch: 9x (32 bits).
System requirements
Windows Millennium
Years of support: 2000 - 2006. Branch: 9x (32 bits).
System requirements
Windows 2000
Years of support: 2000 - 2010. Branch: NT.
System requirements
Windows XP
Editions: XP, XP Professional
System requirements
Windows Vista
Years of support: 2006 - 2017. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Starter, Basic, Premium, Business, Enterprise, Ultimate
System requirements
Windows 7
Years of support: 2009 - 2020. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate
System requirements
| Minimum | Featured | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 32-bit | 64-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit |
| CPU | 1 GHz | |||
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | |
| Hard disk capacity | 16 GB | 20 GB | 16 GB | 20 GB |
Windows 8
Years of support: 2012 - 2016. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
System requirements
| Minimum | Featured | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 32-bit | 64-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit |
| CPU | 1 GHz | |||
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | |
| Hard disk capacity | 16 GB | 20 GB | 16 GB | 20 GB |
Windows 8.1
Years of support: 2013 - 2023. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: 8, 8 Professional (Pro), 8 Corporate (Enterprise)
System requirements
| Minimum | Featured | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 32-bit | 64-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit |
| CPU | 1 GHz | |||
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | |
| Hard disk capacity | 16 GB | 20 GB | 16 GB | 20 GB |
Windows 10 (latest for personal computers)
Years of support: 2015 - 2025. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions
- Home. For most home computers. There is no way to configure a remote desktop so that you can connect to the system remotely; no possibility to use group policies and joining a domain.
- Professional (Pro). Contains all functions home version+ the ability to join a domain, use group policies, the ability to connect to a computer using a remote desktop.
- Corporate (Enterprise). Some features of the home version have been reduced. There is everything additional functions versions Pro + DirectAccess, AppLocker.
- S. Is a stripped down version; comes pre-installed on some devices. Does not support standard application installation - installation can only be done from the Windows Store.
What's new
Windows 10 is undergoing major changes with the release of new builds. Therefore, we will consider innovations based on this.
- Improved performance.
- New built-in Microsoft Edge browser.
- Automatically shrinks an adjacent window when the active window is pressed to one side of the desktop.
- All Apps in Start supports a display of 2,048 items (previously only 512).
- Forced installation updates.
- Using the virtual voice assistant Cortana.
- The updated start menu is a hybrid previous versions and Windows 8 (back old version opening, and tiles appeared on the right side).
- Ability to create multiple desktops.
- Refusal of the Windows 8 tiled system.
- Handwriting capability (Windows Ink).
- Identification using a webcam.
- Sync with mobile device notifications.
- Change the system settings menu.
- Built-in support for virtual reality headsets.
- Game Mode
- By default it is offered command line in Powershell.
- Access to the classic Control Panel is hidden from context menu. Now it can be called with the command control.
- Improved performance of the built-in antivirus.
- Identification using a webcam for Active Directory.
- Ability to create a screenshot with a selection of an area using a combination Win keys+ Shaft + S.
- Braille support.
- Extended battery life.
- The ability to run Cortana on one device and stop working on another.
- Disable SMBv1 protocol. You can enable it manually.
- The People panel appears.
- Information about the GPU in the task manager.
- Microsoft Edge Full Screen Mode
- Extended battery life (Power Throttling function).
- The emoji panel appears.
- Selective OneDrive sync.
- Fixing a slowdown issue in games.
- Ability to recover your password using security questions.
- Dark theme for Explorer.
- Ability to access messages from your phone (“Your Phone” function).
- Insulated desktop for safe start applications.
* this list contains some innovations. Full list on the Wikipedia page.
System requirements
| Minimum | Featured | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 32-bit | 64-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit |
| CPU | 1 GHz | |||
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | |
| Hard disk capacity | 16 GB | 20 GB | 16 GB | 20 GB |
Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server
Years of support: 1993 - 2001. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 16, 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: -
System requirements
| CPU | Intel 80386 |
|---|---|
| RAM | 2 MB |
| Hard disk capacity | 8 MB |
Windows NT 3.5 Server
Years of support: 1994 - 2001. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 16, 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: -
What's new
- Built-in support for Winsock and TCP/IP.
- The emergence of DHCP and WINS servers.
- Providing public access to files and printers.
- VFAT support.
System requirements
| CPU | 33 MHz |
|---|---|
| RAM | 16 MB |
| Hard disk capacity | 70 MB |
Windows NT 3.51 Server
Years of support: 1995 - 2001. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 16, 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: -
System requirements
| CPU | 33 MHz |
|---|---|
| RAM | 16 MB |
| Hard disk capacity | 70 MB |
Windows NT 4.0 Server
Years of support: 1996 - 2004. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Server, Enterprise Edition, Terminal Server
System requirements
Windows 2000 Server
Years of support: 2000 - 2010. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Server, Advanced Server and Datacenter Server
System requirements
Windows Server 2003
Years of support: 2003 - 2015. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Web, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter
System requirements
Web, Standard, Enterprise:
Datacenter Edition:
Windows Server 2003 R2
Years of support: 2005 - 2015. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter
System requirements
Standard, Enterprise:
Datacenter Edition:
Windows Server 2008
Years of support: 2008 - 2020. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 32 and 64 bits.
Editions: Web, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, HPC, Storage, Itanium
System requirements
| Minimum | Featured | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 32-bit | 64-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit |
| CPU | 1 GHz | 1.4 GHz | 2 GHz | |
| RAM | 512 MB | 2 GB | ||
| Hard disk capacity | 10 GB | 40 GB | ||
Windows Server 2008 R2
Years of support: 2009 - 2020. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 64 bits.
Editions: Foundation, Small Business, Web, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, HPC, Itanium
System requirements
Windows Server 2012
Years of support: 2012 - 2023. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 64 bits.
System requirements
Windows Server 2012 R2
Years of support: 2013 - 2023. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 64 bits.
Editions: Foundation, Essentials, Standard, Datacenter
System requirements
Windows Server 2016
Years of support: 2016 - 2026. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 64 bits.
Editions: Essentials, Standard, Datacenter
What's new
- Licensing for physical processor cores (minimum 16).
- New installation mode - Nano.
- The emergence of container virtualization.
- OpenGL and OpenCL for RDP.
- Encryption virtual machines and internal network traffic.
- Block replication of file storages.
System requirements
Windows Server 2019 (latest for servers)
Years of support: 2018 - ?. Branch: NT. Bit depth: 64 bits.
Editions: Standard, Datacenter
What's new
- Improved security - built-in Defender ATP and Defender Exploit Guard technologies.
- Windows Subsystem Linux (WSL) - containers for supporting Linux applications.
- To build a cluster with an even number of nodes, a USB drive can act as a witness disk.