You've certainly heard by now of Longhorn, the code-name for the next major release of Windows. A critical and major component of Longhorn will be the new Windows storage/file system, or WinFS. None of this stuff is all that easy to understand, but getting your brain around this new technology and how it works will be critical to succeeding with Longhorn, for both developers and IT pros.

Tom Rizzo launches his new column with an overview of why the new "Longhorn" storage subsystem (code-named "WinFS") is needed, what WinFS promises to do to help solve our data-overload problems, and what his column promises to deliver in the coming months.

Tom addresses the basics of why change is needed, what WinFS is, and some entry-level information about what's under the hood (Core WinFS, Data Model, Schemas, Services, and APIs).

This is cool stuff, and a good groundwork for building a clear and comprehensive understanding of what amount s to a paradigm shift as far as data storage in Windows goes. Worth the read, and I'll be keeping an eye on Tom's future columns for sure.