WinFS, Microsoft’s most ambitious software plan aimed at establishing a database foundation within the Windows operating system, has once again been “buried”.
This software plan was born in 1991 under the name “Cairo”. It was once considered by Microsoft as an object-oriented operating system integrated into Windows NT. However, Cairo was eventually neglected as Microsoft shifted its focus to the Internet and the rise of Apple/IBM’s Taligent OS.
The concept of “Cairo” returned but was renamed WinFS, and its importance remained unchanged. Microsoft regarded it as “one of the three pillars” of the Longhorn operating system, now known as Windows Vista.
However, the idea of Windows built on a database may be difficult to realize and could possibly take another 10 years. There are doubts that the concept of “Cairo” will ever come to fruition.
The Fate of a Software
 |
| Source: neuronaltraining |
Last weekend, Quentin Clark, an expert from the WinFS Team, stated that Microsoft would not release WinFS as an add-on for Windows XP or Windows Vista.
“The aforementioned changes do not mean that we are not pursuing a standalone version of WinFS. I also want to include WinFS Beta 2 in this. With what we have been working on recently, we want to integrate the features of WinFS into SQL and ADO.NET. There is no need for us to release a standalone version of WinFS anymore,” Clark said.
The idea behind WinFS (Windows File Store) was to eliminate the need for a standard file and folder system. For example, documents would no longer need to be stored in the My Documents folder, and photos would not have to be saved in My Pictures. Instead, Windows would display files based on specific requirements. WinFS could also store structured data such as contacts, schedules, etc.
The WinFS technology is based on the Microsoft SQL Server platform, which was originally planned to be integrated into Windows Vista. However, in 2004, Microsoft announced that this feature would no longer be included in Vista. This change led many analysts to predict that WinFS would soon be “retired”.
In August 2005, Microsoft stirred the tech community again by releasing WinFS Beta 1 while announcing plans for a new file system technology. WinFS was to be included by default in Vista and also have a standalone version available for users to download later. WinFS would also be integrated into the WinFX Runtime Components.
TechEd 2006 welcomed five sessions focusing on WinFS, alongside the anticipation from the tech community for WinFS Beta 2. “Finally, we have been able to realize a world that simplifies the storage, replication, or retrieval of data. This allows us to create new applications,” said WinFS Program Director Shan Sinha.
However, the concept of “Cairo” was officially buried when Microsoft changed its product release strategy. Microsoft now aims to develop SQL Server into a data platform that incorporates WinFS. This means that the new file system will be released as part of another Microsoft product.
The ability to support unstructured data and automated management capabilities of WinFS are indications that this technology will be integrated into the next version of SQL Server. The WinFS API code snippets will “settle” in the next version of ADO.NET.
Thus, the end of WinFS has been marked. Clark believes that Microsoft will only apply new technologies when they are fully developed. He also emphasized that the data search and organization initiatives of WinFS have already been integrated into Windows Vista.
Hoàng Dũng
