Introduction To Windows XP Professional

1
Chapter 1

• Introduction To Windows XP Professional

2
Objectives

• After completing this chapter, you will be able
  to
• Describe the Windows XP product family
• Describe the major features of the Windows XP
  environment
• Understand the Windows XP intelligent user
  interface
• Define the minimum system requirements for
  Windows XP Professional
• Understand the two major networking models under
  which Windows XP can be used
• Understand the architecture of Windows XP

3
The Microsoft Networking Family
Valued Gateway Client

• The Windows XP Family
• Consists of two products Windows XP Professional
  and Windows XP Home
• Home version of Windows XP is for standalone use.
• Windows XP Professional supports

4
The Windows XP Environment

• The Home version of Windows XP is designed for
  standalone use
• Windows XP Professional can be used standalone
  system or in a workgroup or domain network client
• Designed for speed and reliability
• Ideal for connecting to a Windows 2000 or .NET
  domain
• The Windows XP family will be expanded by the
  Windows .NET product line

5
The Windows XP Environment

• Is a hybrid of Windows 2000 and Windows Me
• Includes Multiprocessor support
• Up to two microprocessors in XP Professional
• Supports Multitasking
• Both Pre-Emptive and Cooperative
• Supports Multithreading
• Faster switching between execution modules

6
The Windows XP Environment

• Supports FAT, FAT32, and NTFS file systems
• Windows XP FAT (FAT16) supports long filenames
  and 4 GB files
• Active Directory support
• Does not include support utilities for installing
  or managing Active Directory, BUT
• Interacts with the Active Directory for all
  resource- and security-related communications

7
The Windows XP Environment

• Addresses business security needs
• Enterprise isolation
• Multilevel security
• Auditing and resource tracking
• Isolation of hardware-dependent code
• includes the Kerberos v5 authentication protocol

8
The Windows XP Environment

• Windows XP Professional supports most Windows
  95/98/2000-based programs, especially business
  programs
• also supports MS-DOS-based programs, except for
  those that access the hardware directly
• Windows XP Professional supports
• RAM 4 GB (gigabytes)
• Hard disk space
• 2 TB (terabytes) for NTFS volumes
• 32 GB for FAT32 volumes
• 4 GB for FAT16 volumes

9
The Windows XP Environment

• Windows XP is compatible with the following
• TCP/IP intranets/Internet
• Integrated remote access networks
• Macintosh networks
• Microsoft networks (MS-DOS, Windows for
  Workgroups, LAN Manager)
• Enhanced NetWare connectivity

10
The Windows XP Environment

• Windows XP includes System Recovery features
• System Restore
• Automated System Recovery (ASR)
• Recovery Console
• Device driver rollback
• Numerous alternative boot options

11
The Windows XP Environment

• Remote Capabilities
• Remote Desktop allows access to your computers
  user environment from a remote system
• Remote Assistance can invite a remote user to
  view or control your desktop
• Expanded Help and Support Services

12
Intelligent User Interface

• XP has a new desktop layout and look (user
  experience)
• Simpler
• More intelligent
• More focused
• Comes with a new default color scheme based on
  greens and blues
• Can switch to the Windows Classic (2000) style
• Improved Start Menu and Taskbar design

13
The Windows XP Start Menu
14
Overview Of New Features

• IntelliMirror has been fully integrated into XP
• Protects system and data files from loss
• Windows Messenger Service includes integrated
  video, voice, and text conferencing
• Enhanced online collaboration
• Windows Media Player 8 is included

15
Overview Of New Features, contd.

• Movie Maker enables you to transform camcorder
  recordings into home movies
• Combine video or audio from external analog and
  digital recording devices with downloaded content
• XP provides broader support for digital images
• Offers image manipulation and editing
  capabilities and quick access to online photo
  printing
• Autoplay can now be custom configured

16
Windows XP Professional Hardware Requirements

• The Microsoft-defined minimum requirements are
• 233 MHz CPU or higher microprocessor
• 64 MB of RAM (4 GB maximum)
• 1.5 GB of free disk space
• VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution monitor
• Keyboard
• Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
  (optional)

17
Windows XP Professional Hardware Requirements,
contd.

• The recommended system requirements are
• P2 300 MHz CPU or higher microprocessor
• 128 MB of RAM (4 GB maximum)
• 2 GB of free disk space
• SVGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution monitor
• 12x or faster CD-ROM drive

18
Windows XP Professional Hardware Requirements,
contd.

• To install from a CD-ROM drive, you need
• A CD-ROM or DVD drive
• High-density 3.5-inch disk drive, unless
  configured to boot from the CD-ROM
• To install over a network, you need
• Windows XP-compatible network interface card
  (NIC) and related cable
• Access to the network share that contains the
  setup files

19
Hardware Compatibility List

• Windows XP controls hardware directly, without
  accessing the BIOS
• XP works only with devices with drivers written
  specifically for it
• Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) all known
  XP-compatible hardware devices and points to each
  devices driver
• use the HCL as your primary reference when
  evaluating an XP system or when selecting
  components

20
Hardware Compatibility List

• The HCL file exists as a text and a Help file on
  your Windows XP CD-ROM
• The HCL is not a static document !!
• The most recent version of the HCL is available
  on Microsofts Web site
• www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp
• Employ the Windows XP Hardware Compatibility Tool
  to detect your hardware and declare it compatible
  or not

21
Networking Models

• Microsoft XP Professional supports the Workgroup
  and the Domain networking models
• Microsofts workgroup model network is also known
  as a peer-to-peer network
• The workgroup model distributes resources,
  administration, and security among all computers
  in a workgroup
• Workgroups are useful for groups of less than 10
  computers and may be used with groups as large as
  25 to 50 machines

22
Networking Models
23
Networking Models

• The domain model centralizes all shared resources
  and creates a single point of administrative and
  security control
• Domains are useful for groups in the range of 10
  to 3,000 computers
• Microsoft estimates the maximum practical size of
  a single domain is 25,000 computers

24
Networking Models

• Any Windows domain requires at least one domain
  controller (DC)
• Maintains the domains Active Directory
• Active Directory stores all information and
  relationships about users, groups, policies,
  computers, and resources
• More than one domain controller can exist in a
  domain
• It is recommended that you deploy a domain
  controller for every 300 to 400 clients

25
Networking Models
26
Windows XP Architecture

• XP processes operate in one of two modes user or
  kernel
• This is similar to the use of modes in UNIX and
  VMS
• Windows XP is an object-oriented operating system
• any request for a system resource ultimately
  becomes a request for a particular object
• Windows XP can control access to individual
  objects
• It can control which users or groups are
  permitted to access such objects

27
Windows XP Architecture, contd.

• User mode is an isolated portion of the system
  where user applications execute
• XP supports native 32-bit Windows APIs, and Win16
  and DOS environments
• Kernel mode is a highly privileged processing
  mode, refers to the inner workings of XP
• It includes the Executive Services, the kernel,
  and the hardware abstraction layer (HAL)

28
Windows XP Architecture, contd.

• Executive Services permit kernel and user modes
  to communicate. They include
• I/O Manager
• Security Reference Monitor (SRM)
• Internal Procedure Call (IPC) Manager
• Virtual Memory Manager (VMM)
• Process Manager
• Plug and Play Manager
• Power Manager
• Windows Manager
• File Systems Manager
• Object Manager
• Graphics device drivers

29
Windows XP Architecture, contd.

• All processes in XP consist of one or more
  threads controlled by the kernel
• Executive Services use the kernel to communicate
  with each other
• A misbehaving kernel process can stall or crash
  the operating system

30
Windows XP Architecture, contd.

• The Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) isolates
  hardware-dependent code to prevent direct access
  to hardware
• The HAL helps to make Windows XP scalable across
  multiple processors

31
Windows XP Architecture, contd.

• The Windows XP Professional memory architecture
  can manage as much as 4 GB of RAM.
• Windows XP uses a flat (non-multidimensional)
  32-bit memory model.
• A virtual memory, demand paging method
• A flat, linear address space of up to 2 GB per
  32-bit application
• Non-32-bit Windows applications are managed
  similarly, except
• all subsystem components run within a single 2 GB
  address space.

32
Summary

• Windows XP offers
• Portability
• Multitasking/Multithreading
• Multiple file systems (FAT, FAT32, NTFS)
• Active Directory
• Robust security
• Multiple clients
• Multiple processors
• Wide application support
• Large RAM and storage capacity
• Wide range of network connectivity options.

33
Summary

• Windows XP has specific minimum hardware
  requirements
• The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) lists all
  devices known to be compatible with Windows XP.
• XP can participate in either the workgroup or
  domain networking models.
• Windows XP is based on a modular programming
  technique.
• User mode hosts all user processes and accesses
  resources through the Executive Services.
• Kernel mode hosts all system processes and
  mediates all resource access.