Microsoft deletes WinFS from Windows

by admin June 26, 2006 at 11:10 am

The company has scrapped plans to deliver its relational file system for Windows, but will build aspects of it into SQL Server

Microsoft has decided to initially use technology from its WinFS project in the SQL Server database, rather than Windows.

Quentin Clark, who runs the WinFS programme management team, disclosed the company’s plans in a blog posting on Friday. He said that the next version of SQL Server, code-named Katmai, will incorporate features from WinFS to store unstructured data and automate administration.

In 2003, Microsoft described WinFS as one of the “pillars” of Windows Vista, which is due early next year. The company then decided to pull that feature out of Vista, then known as Longhorn, while continuing to develop it.

The original goal of WinFS ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù a concept talked about at Microsoft for many years ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù was to provide a unified file system for all Windows applications. Instead of having a special file format for each application, such as Outlook mail, WinFS would serve all applications.

Full article: ZDNet UK