.NET Microsoft Notes

1. Introduction
   • NGWS (Next Generation Windows Services)
   • Standards

     .net is built on

     HTTP, the communication protocol between Internet Applications

     XML. the format for exchanging data between Internet Applications

     SOAP, the standard format for requesting Web Services

     UDDI, the standard to search and discover Web Services

   • .NET Framework

     The .NET Framework is the infrastructure for the new Microsoft .NET Platform.

     The .NET Framework is a common environment for building, deploying and running

     Web Services and Web Applications.

     The .NET Framework is language neutral.

     The new Visual Studio .NET is a common development environment for the

     new .NET Framework. It provides a feature-rich application execution environment

     simplified development and easy integration between a number of languages

   • Additional Information

     The .NET plan includes a new version of the Windows Operating System,

     a new version of Office, and a variety of new development software

     for developers to build Web-based applications

2. .NET Core
   • Web Services

     Web Services provide data and services to other applications.

     Future applications will access Web Services via standard Web Formats

     HTTP, HTML, XML and SOAP, with no need to know how the Web Service is implemented

     Web Services are the main building blocks in the Microsoft .NET programming model.

   • Standard Communication

     Official Web standards XML, UDDI, SOAP, will be used to describe what

     Internet data is and to describe what Web Services can do

     Future Web applications will be built on flexible services that can interact and

     exchange data without the loss of integrity

   • Internet Storages

     .NET offers secure and addressable places to store data and applications on the Web

     allowing all types of Internet devices to access data and applications

     These Web Services are built on Microsoft's existing NTFS, SQL Server and Exchange Technologies

   • Internet Dynamic Delivery

     Reliable automatic upgrades by demand and installation independent applications

     .NET will support rapid development of applications that can be dynamically reconfigured

   • Internet Identity

     .NET supports many different levels of authentication services like passwords

     wallets and smart cards

     These services are built on existing Microsoft Passport and Windows Authentication technologies

   • Internet Messaging

     .NET supports integration of messaging, e-mail, voice-mail and fax into on

     unified Internet Service targeted for all kinds of PC's or smart Internet Devices

     These services are built on existing Hotmail, Exchange and Instant Messenger technologies

   • Internet Calendar

     .NET supports Internet integration of work, social and private home calendars

     allowing all types of Internet devices to access the data

     These services are built on existing Outlook and Hotmail technologies

   • Internet Directory Services

     .NET supports a new kind of directory servcies that can answer XML based

     questions about Internet Services far more exactly than serch engines and yellow pages

     These services are built on the UDDI standard

3. .NET Software

   .NET is a mix of technologies, standards and development tools.

   • Windows .NET

     Windows 2000 and Windows XP form the backbone of .NET

     It is the next generation of Windows

   • Office .NET

     With Office .NET browsing, communication, document handling and authoring will be integrated within an XML based environment and will allow users to store documents on the Internet

   • Active Server Pages - ASP .NET

     ASP .NET is the latest version of ASP.

     It includes Web Services to link applications, services and devices using HTTP, HTML, XML, and SOAP.

   • Visual Studio .NET

     The latest version of Visual Studio - Visual Studio .NET - incorporates ASP .NET, ADO.NET, Web Services, Web Forms and language innovations for Visual Basic

     The development tools have deep XML support, an XML based programming model and new object-oriented programming capabilities.

   • Visual Basic.NET

     Visual Basic.NET has added language enhcanements making it full a full object oriented programming language

   • SQL Server 2000

     SQL Server 2000 is a fully web enabled database.

     SQL Server 2000 has strong support for XML and HTTP which are two of the main infrastructure technologies for .NET.

     Features direct access to the database from a browser

     Query of relational data with results returned as XML

     Storage of XML in relational formats

   • Internet Information Server 6.0

     IIS 6.0 has strong support for more programming to take place on the server to allow the new Web Applications to run in any browser on any palatform.

4. .NET Web Services

   Web Services are small units of code built to handle a limited task.

   Web Services use XML based communicating protocols

   Web Servcies are independent of programming languages and operating systems

   Web Services connect people, systems and devices

   • Small Units of Code

     Web services are small units of code designed to handle a limited set of tasks.

     An example of a web service can be a small program designed to supply other applications with teh latest stock exchange prices. Another example can be a small program designed to handle credit card payments.

   • XML Based Web Protocols

     Web services use the standard web protocols; HTTP, XML, SOAP, WSDL and UDDI.

   • HTTP

     HTTP is the WWW standard for communcation over the internet. HTTP is standardized by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

   • XML

     XML is a well known standard for storing, carrying, and exhcanging data. XML is standardized by the W3C.

   • SOAP (simple object access protocol)

     SOAP is a lightweight platform and language neutral communication protocol that allows programs to communicate via standard internet HTTP. SOAP is standardized by the W3C.

   • WSDL (Web Services Description Language)

     WSDL is an XML based language used to define web services and to describe how to access them. WSDL is a suggestion by Ariba, IBM and Microsoft for describing services for the W3C XML Activity on XML protocols.

   • UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration)

     UDDI is a directory service where buisnesses can register and search for web services.

   • Independent of Operating Systems

     Since web services use XML based protocols to communicate with other systems, web services are independent of both operating systems and programming languages.

     An application calling a web service will always send its requests using XML and get it's answers returned as XML. The calling application will never be concerned about the operating system or the programming language running on the other computer.

   • Benefits of Web Services

     Easier to communicate between applications.

     Easier to reuse existing services.

     Easier to distribute information to more consumers.

     Rapid development.

     Web services make it easier to communicate between different applications. They also make it possible for developers to reuse existing web services instead of writing new ones.

     Web services can create new possibilities for many businesses becuase it provides an easy way to distribute information to a large number of consumers. One example could be flight schedules and ticket reservation systems.

5. .NET Standards
   • Executables, C++, and Java too, must die

     Neither C++ nor Java can ever create standard components that can run on all computers. There is no room for these languages in future destributed applications. Executables are not standard, COM objects are not standard, DLL files are not standard. Registry settings are not standard. INI files are not standard. None of these can create a standardized distributed application that can run on any computer in the world.

   • Clients Must Be Standard Internet Browsers (Thin Clients)

     Application clients must be standard clients without any additional components. No part of the applications must be stored on client computers. The application must never use or rely on any components, dll files, registry settings or any other non standard settings or files stored on the client computer.

   • Servers Must Be Standard Internet Servers

     Application servers must be standard Internet servers, running standard software without any additional components. The application must never use, or rely on any components, dll files, ini files, registry settings or any other non standard settings or files stored on the server. They should be standard servers like IIS with a standard request handler like ASP and a standard database connecter like ADO. And the data-store should be a standard SQL based database like Oracle or MSSQL Server.

   • Applications Must Use Internet Communications

     Application clients and servers must not be allowed to communicate via any proprietary protocol. Clients must requests servers via a standard Internet protocol and servers must respond via the same protocol. Clients must be able to use any service without having to maintain a permanent connection to the server. They should use standard stateless internet HTTP requests and responses.

6. .NET Services
   • Applications Must Be a Set of Services

     Applications can no longer be allowed to contain large masses of compiled executable code. Applications must be broken down into a number of smaller individual services that are easier to create and maintain. Individual services should be developed and maintained by smaller groups of people. Services are not teh same as executables, or components, or dll's. Services should be answers to submitted requests. Services should be returned as data. They should be developed as a number of server-side HTML and/or XML pages.

   • Services Must Not Be Purpose Built

     Our history is full of applications that were purpose built for a single task. Many of these applications died before tehy were released because they could not manage new changes in the requirements. They should be flexible applications that are so generalized they can gracefully support future changes.

   • Services Must Be Easy to Created and Edit

     Use Scripts. Do not compile into executables. Services should be created and modified by editing their properties and methods. Use an XML editor to create and edit services, and then use a standard service engine to provide services by executing the service description. The service description should be stored in a dta store like a database or in an XML/HTML file.

   • Services and data Must Be Self Describing

     Clients must be able to qurey a server for a service and to ask for the current server functions. Clients and servers mut also be able to exchange data in a way so that both understand each element in the data. Use an XML based information vocabulary with a DTD to exchange server functions, and then use XML to exchange the data.

7. .NET Proof
   • Applications Must Support Future Changes

     Applications must be aware of future changes and gracefully adjust to changes in either the amount of services or in the exchange format. The application and the data exchange format must support both extensions, removed elements and version controls. Use XML with XML Schema.

   • Applications Must Scale and Relocate

     Applications must be able to scale from supporting a few to many thousand requests per day. Server services must be able to spread from one server to many, or to move from one server to another without breaking the application. They should be independent of physical server and use standard internet uniform resouce locators or a directory service to locate the services.

   • Applications Must Support Other Applications

     Applications should be able to cooperate with other applications. Create all applications with the same rules, adn link applications together with standard internet links.

   • Applications Must Support Future Internet Standards

     Applcations should be made ready to support the new internet standards.