phyllis@utcsrgv.UUCP (Phyllis Eve Bregman) (01/09/84)
UofT Department of Computer Science Seminar Schedule for
the week of January 9, 1984
Thursday, January 12th, 4:00 P.M., SF1105: Dr. J.P. Black,
Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K.
"UNIX United and the Newcastle Connection".
ABSTRACT: Unix United is an architecture for a distributed
system based on UNIX.* Our aim during its design has been to
extend UNIX semantics consistently from a single system to a
collection of independent UNIX systems. The resulting distributed
system is functionally identical to a single UNIX system.
Nevertheless, the component UNIX systems remain quite loosely
coupled: each component may use a different type of processor
or (UNIX-like) operating system, and maintains its own user
community and administrative autonomy.
The Newcastle Connection is our implementation of the UNIX United
architecture. It is a transparent software layer which relies on
its supporting UNIX kernel and provides UNIX United semantics to
its callers. Consideration of the Newcastle Connection as a
virtualization of UNIX has led to a general recursive structuring
principle for computer system design, as well as designs and
prototypes for "orthogonal" virtualizations of UNIX. These include
a triplicated fault tolerant virtual UNIX system, a distributed
secure virtual UNIX system and a non-UNIX terminal concentrator
masquerading as a UNIX system.
*UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs.
--
Phyllis Eve Bregman
CSRG, Univ. of Toronto
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