Last Updated: March 2009
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Questions and Answers for:
Q: What is “Oslo”?
"Oslo" is the code name for Microsoft’s platform for
model-driven applications.
Q: What are the
specific components being delivered with “Oslo”?
There are three elements to our modeling platform investments:
- Oslo Repository
A shared database for linking together all of the various model artifacts
across the Microsoft platform, leveraged across various Microsoft products. The
repository is a SQL Server database for managing domain models and includes a
library of pre-built models. It stores models as SQL Server schema objects and
model instance data as rows in the tables that implement the schema.
- Oslo modeling language (codenamed “M”)
A new modeling language for authoring domains textually, providing a shared
meta-model that enables developers to easily import/export models from the
repository in an approachable, textual manner.
- Oslo visual modeling tool (codenamed “Quadrant”)
A modeling and composition tool for authoring domains visually, such as
designing business processes with well-understood, flowchart-like graphics.
All three of these investments will help organizations remove boundaries
and realize the potential of modeling in applications and services. Our goal
with these investments is to take
modeling mainstream and inspire efficient collaboration between the
participants of the application lifecycle (business decision makers, analysts,
developers, IT professionals, etc.). It also enables the application to be
“designed for operations” to help make sure that the developer builds an
application that can be easily managed, deployed, and evolved in a production
data center environment.
Q: What are the
major customer benefits delivered by Oslo?
1.
Simplified Development
“Oslo” will help provide
greater levels of agility and productivity by greatly simplifying the development
of applications. By putting model-driven innovation directly into the .NET platform,developers can take advantage of a
mainstream use of models for pre-built domains that easeand simplify application development.
2. Visibility into
Distributed Solutions
“Oslo” will bring together a connected view of today’s models, which are
often built in vertical, isolated silos. Building upon the existing and
familiar investments
customers have already made in Microsoft platforms, while simultaneously opening
up a rich new set of capabilities, “Oslo” will integrate with a variety of Microsoft technologies including Windows Server, System
Center, Visual Studio, and SQL Server. These connections will provide greater
visibility into the configuration of a solution that spans across multiple parts of
the application platform.
3. Bridging the Gaps
“Oslo” technologies will integrate with and enhance Microsoft lifecycle
tooling in Visual Studio Team System and System Center to unite development and
management activities, helping information
workers, developers, database architects, software architects, business
analysts, and IT Professionals to better collaborate across development and operations.
Q: What opportunities
does ‘Oslo’ present for partners?
"Oslo" represents a set of technologies that will
provide a robust platform on top of which our partners can build. We are
currently working with a number of partners (such as the Business Process
Alliance) who are interested in leveraging the "Oslo" platform. As we
move further into the product schedule, we will organize a more formal
Technology Adoption Program (TAP) to increase the number of partners we engage
with.
Q: What will Oslo
help developers vs. business analysts vs. IT Pros do better?
Developers will have the opportunity to develop application models
textually or visually by choosing M or Quadrant, both of which provides a high
amount of flexibility and accuracy. Developers will also benefit from having a
shared repository that allows for central storage of application components;
this will increase efficiency when developing composite applications.
Business Analysts could use Quadrant to have a visual representation of
the application, and make real-time edits to that application using Quadrant, if
they so choose, which then become “live” immediately due to the integration
between the three components.
IT Professionals will benefit from having a central, shared data store
that is built on technology they know and love today (SQL Server). A repository
also helps reduce duplication, increase efficiency and use of all technology
assets, and reduces communication challenges between developers who build applications
and IT professionals who often deploy and manage them.
Q: How will the
technologies from "Oslo" be packaged, branded, or sold?
We are not disclosing packaging or pricing at this time. However, we
expect that “Oslo” will be made available across existing Microsoft product
lines including Visual Studio and .NET Framework.
Q: What is the timeline for shipping
"Oslo"?
We are not disclosing the release
schedule at this time. We are committed to releasing regular Community
Technology Previews (CTPs) and will engage with the developer community on an
on-going basis. The Oslo Developer Center is the place to learn about the latest
Oslo-related downloads.
Q: Is there an "Oslo" CTP?
A Community Technology Preview of the
Oslo modeling platform is available today on the Oslo
Developer Center. This includes the
“M” language tools and the repository but not the “Quadrant” visual tool at
this time.
Q: How does Oslo
relate to, or take advantage of, Azure Services Platform?
As the platform for model-driven applications, “Oslo” does not make a
distinction between on-premise or cloud applications. Microsoft’s Cloud platform
makes use of models in many areas, including deployment, access control, and
workflow. As such, we are working with a number of teams building cloud
infrastructure and services to leverage various “Oslo” technologies. We expect
to announce more details about this work in upcoming months.
Q: How does Oslo relate to SQL Server?
“Oslo” makes intensive use of SQL Server in a deep and rich way. One of
the key design points of “Oslo” is the use of a natural and straightforward SQL
database, the repository, for storage, editing, and sharing of models. The “M” language supports the authoring of
models for storage in SQL Server in a first class way. The “Quadrant” tool
supports the editing of models in a SQL Server database. We view “Oslo” as an
important step in bringing the power of SQL Server to the next-generation of
model-driven applications.
Q: How does Oslo relate to the Entity Framework(EF)/Entity Data Model (EDM)?
EF and EDM are important technologies for Microsoft. “Oslo” full
embraces EF/EDM as a primary mechanism for “Oslo”-based runtimes to access the repository.
We are working closely with the Entity Framework team to enable this scenario. In
addition, as we continue the development of “Oslo” we expect deeper alignment
with EF/EDM. In particular, we expect that to have “Oslo” textual and visual
DSLs for EDM and for these to play an important role in how application
developers build model-driven applications.
Q: What is the
relationship of your “Oslo” investments to Visual Studio?
The relationship between “Oslo” and Visual Studio is strong.
The Oslo modeling tool, “Quadrant” is a member of the Visual Studio family,
although we are not discussing packaging details at present. The “Oslo”
modeling language, “M”, supports textual model authoring in Visual Studio. Lastly,
the “Oslo” repository is fully accessible within Visual Studio. In general,
models in Oslo can be edited using a variety of tools, including those with
which users are already familiar (Visual Studio, BizTalk, Visio, etc.).
Q: Is "Oslo" shipping with
the rest of the Visual Studio 2010 product line?
We are not currently disclosing
schedules or packaging.