A New OS means a New OS
This is one key element of Windows 8. Microsoft has announced one of the most significant changes that will come with the Windows 8 OS, a new file system. Called ReFS, for Resilient File System, the system will be available through a staged evolution.
Starting as a storage system, ReFS will begin on the Windows Server 8 only. Then it will become a storage system for Windows clients, and then ultimately “as a boot volume.”
The Internals of ReFS
ReFS will complement the Storage Spaces feature in Windows 8 and Windows Server 8. This means that that works in many ways like drive extender. It will also help with the verification and auto-correction of data and make it available to a large scale of operations. This last part should make file fragmentation not so big a problem anymore. Consequently, ease of use should increase as well as performance improvements on the system.
In another area, one of Microsoft’s goals with ReFS is to maintain a high degree of compatibility with a subset of NTFS features. Obviously, eliminating NTFS can only be done gradually but that means that incorporating elements of it in ReFS will be necessary so that data files and software programs are still accessible. On the other hand, it will eliminate other elements of NTFS that provide limited value at the cost of system complexity and footprint.
While Microsoft has been launching operating systems for over 30 years, they have been part of the DOS model. This new operating system is truly new, as Microsoft has been pointing out for some time. As new features are released, we will get a better picture about what the Windows 8 System will look like.
Release time? Still up in the air, but maybe by the 3rd quarter of 2012.
This is one key element of Windows 8. Microsoft has announced one of the most significant changes that will come with the Windows 8 OS, a new file system. Called ReFS, for Resilient File System, the system will be available through a staged evolution.
Starting as a storage system, ReFS will begin on the Windows Server 8 only. Then it will become a storage system for Windows clients, and then ultimately “as a boot volume.”
The Internals of ReFS
ReFS will complement the Storage Spaces feature in Windows 8 and Windows Server 8. This means that that works in many ways like drive extender. It will also help with the verification and auto-correction of data and make it available to a large scale of operations. This last part should make file fragmentation not so big a problem anymore. Consequently, ease of use should increase as well as performance improvements on the system.
In another area, one of Microsoft’s goals with ReFS is to maintain a high degree of compatibility with a subset of NTFS features. Obviously, eliminating NTFS can only be done gradually but that means that incorporating elements of it in ReFS will be necessary so that data files and software programs are still accessible. On the other hand, it will eliminate other elements of NTFS that provide limited value at the cost of system complexity and footprint.
While Microsoft has been launching operating systems for over 30 years, they have been part of the DOS model. This new operating system is truly new, as Microsoft has been pointing out for some time. As new features are released, we will get a better picture about what the Windows 8 System will look like.
Release time? Still up in the air, but maybe by the 3rd quarter of 2012.
