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Redmond (WA) - This afternoon, a Microsoft spokesperson gave Tom's Hardware Guide some initial background information regarding which technologies will be represented in the company's release of beta 1 of Longhorn Server, which now appears on schedule for this summer.

In an e-mail, the spokesperson stated that Network Access Protection--a new policy compliance platform currently being tested for Windows Server 2003--will be made available in Longhorn Server Beta 1 (LSB1). In addition, the spokesperson presented a list of points which the new system will address. This list includes "streamlined and task-oriented management" including event logging, image-based setup, and a scalable Web application platform; "increased infrastructure robustness" including Network Access protection and a so-called "transactional file system and registry;" and "enhanced end user productivity," including enhancements to Terminal Server, collaboration, and cross-organizational rights management.

Although the list mentioned the "transactional file system," it noticeably omits any mention of WinFS, the reworked contextual file system whose very existence as a Microsoft project now appears in jeopardy.

Late this afternoon, a Microsoft spokesperson also confirmed that Indigo, the company's ambitious platform for inter-application communication that would enable sophisticated Web services, remains a core component of Longhorn, adding that it "will also be made available on Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP." Last week, another Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that Indigo will operate as a Web services platform without any reliance whatsoever upon either Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) or Internet Information Services (IIS). Historically, these components have served as the broker and server, respectively, for all Windows Web-oriented applications.
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Read More / Source: Tom's Hardware Guide