madmatt

Microsoft has scrapped plans for a WinFS Beta 2. Instead, elements of WinFS are being rolled into other products.

Going back to the early days in the development of what is now known as Windows Vista, there has been the concept of a new file system known as WinFS, which was to be an integral element in the new operating system. Last year, with great fanfare and a lot of bad press reaction, Microsoft "dropped" the WinFS filing system from what was Windows Longhorn at the time.

The notion of the new file system being an integral part of the new platform was replaced by a new plan: develop the new Windows independently, and then ship WinFS as a standalone product in conjunction with the release of Windows Vista. Since WinFS was initially referred to as one of the "pillars" of Longhorn/Vista, once it was pulled out there naturally had to be a bit of damage control on Microsoft's part to convince the public that this "pillar" was not, in fact, that much of a "pillar" after all.

It has taken some time, but they have succeeded in this, to some extent, and we haven't heard much about the "loss of WinFS" recently. Meanwhile, the WinFS Team has been toiling away at what was to be the separate delivery of the new technology. Now comes word that this will not happen after all. WinFS is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Source: Bink.nu (Pro Networks)

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Bman

I never read up on WinFS, what is it? Filesystem, as NTFS, FAT32??

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madmatt

Windows Future Storage (WinFS), is the codename for a data storage and management system based on relational databases. It was being developed by Microsoft between 2003 and 2006 for use as an advanced storage subsystem for the Microsoft Windows operating system.

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Bman

Too bad

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ming

From what I remember, it's not so much as to comparing it to NTFS or FAT, but the way Windows is supposed to store data. I think it was supposed to store or show ALL files by group/type/extension no matter where the actual file location is on the disk/partition. (ie Windows will show all jpgs no matter whether it's stored in C:windows or C: pictures.

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GEN3RIC

i kept hearing it being compared to databases.. but I never really grasped the concept because Im having trouble differentiating between a database and how we store data now with our file systems.

It was supposed to be uber efficient?

Dublex

I'm not sure if I would like the idea of a full database to be used to store data anyway. What would happen if the main root file became corrupted?

I am aware that NTFS and FAT uses some database like referencing though.

kcnychief

Post on the LongHorn Blog that was supposed to be made last friday -

http://www.longhornblogs.com/robert/.../27/16382.aspx

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