http://www.hexus.net/content/news/ne...lld19JRD0xNTM5Quentin Clark of the WinFS team said: "It’s a big milestone shipping WinFS Beta1 and being able to reconnect with a broader set of developers on what we are building. WinFS is alive and well, and with Beta1 we are anticipating lots of feedback to help us continue to refine WinFS."
PHP Code:$s = new signature();
$s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display();
There's an interesting WinFS team beta 1 vid available here, although it is an hour long!
Here's an overview of what is covered:
- The interviewer suggested ditching the Registry and using WinFS. It's not a short term goal, but it could be on the cards in the future to implement the Windows Registry in a more WinFS like fashion, making it easier to migrate data, applications, etc.
- As far as end users are concerned, they shouldn't even know WinFS is there. Essentially applications will use WinFS, not users, although the end result is a benefit to users.
- WinFS download should be about 30MB to 40MB, so we're looking at something similar to the .net Framework.
- WinFS intermixes the concept of the filesystem, whereby you're storing streams of data, and also information in a row/table fashion as you'd find in a database.
- A Word file is loaded from within the WinFS database, so existing applications can use WinFS, with the benefits of WinFS aware applications being able to make use of the more advanced features available.
- A demo application is then run which shows files based on time and category. Looking very much like a gannt chart, data is laid out in a way very different to the folder/file structure we're used to. Files can be related to each other, so that when a file is open, related files can also be listed.
- Using pictures as an example, if you have multiple pictures of the same thing, you can use one image to be representative of the rest. This relationship can then be used in other applications.
- Just as 'legacy' applications see WinFS stored data as they would an ordinary file system, network machines without WinFS installed will just see files. Obviously, WinFS features and relationships are unavailable on a machine without WinFS installed.
- If you're viewing the contents of the WinFS, internally they are represented differently, but they can be presented in the file/folder fashion that we're used to.
- Backing up is easy. Drag and drop, data and WinFS info will be copied.
- Unlike a filesystem, a database can apply queries that are relationship aware, so you can construct complex, specific search queries that can return useful results.
- Queries can be built, saved, and reapplied within different applications. As the data within WinFS changes and is added to, the results of the queries will change.
- WinFS aims to create a feel whereby the data is organising itself.
- Using relationships, if you want to see items of a particular subject/type/etc, you can then see items of data related to those. So if you want to find certain people, you can then also see items related to those particular people.
- A huge number of applications have their own custom data stores sat on top the filesystem. WinFS aims to provide a data store that all applications can utilise, making sharing and relating information between different applications easier.
- Just as users shouldn't realise they're using WinFS, Microsoft hope that developers will start using WinFS seamlessly, without having to think too database-centric.
- What happens if corruption occurs? In terms of the database, if certain data pages get corrupted, your database is can be knackered. The WinFS team have worked on what needs backing up, where to, how to identify corrupt data and correct/restore it. This will provide reliability that will require little in the way of user intervention.
- If WinFS becomes popular, virus writers and hackers may seek to find security holes and exploits in it. However, the WinFS team do have that in mind, considering antivirus measures and so forth during the development process.
- There isn't a strict roadmap to the release of WinFS any more. Beta 1 seeks early feedback, with more betas to come in due course.
- WinFS will be out between Vista and the next major Windows client (not a very specific time frame, then!)
- A C# program was demonstrated, combining the Opath string query language for the WinFS interaction, although they will be moving towards SQL style queries, given its familiarity amongst developers.
- Attendees of PDC will be able to get hands on with WinFS to see what potential it has, and also discuss development issues.
My thoughts? WinFS looks to have a lot of potential, and if MS can get developers on-board writing applications that will utilise the features of WinFS, the way we access our data could change dramatically.
Last edited by Steve; 30-08-2005 at 12:11 PM.
PHP Code:$s = new signature();
$s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display();
removed so TiG isn't offended
Last edited by Dougal; 30-08-2005 at 02:06 PM.
6014 3DMk 05Originally Posted by Errr...me
You completely miss the actual concept of beta testing.
They're not advocating you run a production system completely from WinFS, they're just asking for developers to hack against it and users to use the resulting apps, but not to rely on it for anything serious since it's in flux. You know, as a beta product.
MOLLY AND POPPY!
Right on Rys.
I've just finished writing up my summary of what's covered in the video. I'm impressed with what's there so far. I just hope they roll it out at a time when it will be useful and that applications will make use of it.
PHP Code:$s = new signature();
$s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display();
I know the concept of Beta testing.
There was no need to fly off the handle like that.
There are risks with File systems that are in beta that could damage the hard drives sectors.
6014 3DMk 05
Dougal, the wording of your first comment is pretty harsh in itself.
I understand your point but its the sort of thing the company i work at does investigate. But then we are a MS development shop on the whole with most if not all of our development team having 1 or more MCP type qualifications.
TiG
-- Hexus Meets Rock! --
errrrrrrrrr yes its going to damage those hard drive sectors, luckily i belive my hdd can survive over 10,000,000 sector writes to the same sector without any issue.
its sitting on a top of NTFS (as they say in the vid, proven matured technology). As such it can do no more damage than a standard "user mode" program.
My one complaint about WinFS, which is probably because its in beta, the fact that it automatically repairs against coruption, without actually telling you what its doing. It should at least flash up a bubble letting the user know its done it for you. But again thats probably because its a beta.
I for one can't wait, some simplish database style performance enhancing to a filesystem is about due. Most people who buy new machines now are getting 1gig of ram. Apparently WinFS will load some files to memory before you actaully open them, based on requests u've already made... Thats neat.
I wounder how for a lot of apps, it will be better than XML thou? I do like the idea of making people use objects so everything is typed. But i can't see its storing user settings on an app, which only wants to store that.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
Not to mention 'legacy' applications will be able to treat WinFS like a 'run of the mill' filesystem, so for having a play around it should be no trouble - nobody is going ot use it in a production environment anyway.One of the things they said in the video was how transparent they wanted WinFS to be to the user - they shouldn't know it's there. I guess it really depends on the severity of the problem as to whether the user really needs to know. Perhaps a power user should be able to opt to receive such a notification?Application settings are, I would imagine, still going to be (or rather Microsoft want them to be) in the registry, as for now, the registry remains.
PHP Code:$s = new signature();
$s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display();
I don't know steve. I think there are a lot of application settings which would benefit from a relational environment.
It would be much better to be able to make ur applicaiton settings (say font size) off other related ones.
Anotherthing thats puzzeling me about WinFS is user centric security. Will it be a case of NTFS encryption? I've always detested the difficulty and insecurity of a linux encyrpted (http://linuxfromscratch.org/~devine/erfs-howto.html, well worth doing thou). But XP Home dosen't support the VERY easy to use encryption.
What i mean is what will happen when i tell my computer to email someone all the pictures i've got that have them in. But because there "naughty" ones i want them encrypted. Currently this is a big lacking thing on all desktop OS's. I hope i'm making sense.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
Of course, this could be a good idea for a guide if anybody on Hexus wants to do it - a guide what the different file systems are e.g. FAT, FAT32, NTFS, WINFS, ext3, Reiser, etc.
"Well, there was your Uncle Tiberius who died wrapped in cabbage leaves but we assumed that was a freak accident."
and a simple, its impossible for WinFS to damage your clustors, what the hell are you thinking? FAQ.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
nope, its higher level than that.
Its something that sits on an excisting filesystem like NTFS, and provides a much richer access layer (GOD DAMNIT WATCH THE CHANNEL 9 VID!).
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
sorry im not going to whatch an hour of video on winfs.
i have read your veiws and will consider them ,but subject myself to 1 hour of technical presentation is beyond the call of duty.
It does sound like a very important move forward from all said here and from other past articles i've read. I just hope it does not end up being another source of pain when the applications hit.(my past experiance with new software technology and retail software)
I figured quite a lot of people would say that, hence why I summarised it
PHP Code:$s = new signature();
$s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display();
your effort has not been wasted.
thank you.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote