Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!apple!bionet!agate!saturn!bcn@june.cs.washington.edu
From: bcn@june.cs.washington.edu (Clifford Neuman)
Newsgroups: comp.os.research
Subject: Re: New Front End
Message-ID: <8223@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Date: 30 Jun 89 16:26:04 GMT
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Organization: U of Washington, Computer Science, Seattle
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Approved: comp-os-research@jupiter.ucsc.edu


I am presently working on a new way of organizing large distributed
systems called the virtual system model.  The motivating factor behind
the virtual system model is that as systems get larger and larger it
becomes harder to find things, and that a new way of organizing
large systems is needed to address this problem.

Although not specifically concerned with the user interface, the
directory service I have implemented based on the virtual system model
supports many of the features you indicate as desirable.  Among these
features are that the directory structure is a generalized directed
graph instead of a tree.  I call it 'generalized' because links in the
graph can be of several types.  A normal link is simply a pointer to a
file or directory.  A union link makes the contents of a linked
directory appear as part of the present directory instead of as a
subdirectory.  Finally, a filter can be added to a link which can
change the way one views the subtree to which the link was made.  It
can exclude certain objects, include objects that did not originally
exist, or even change the name or other attributes of other objects.

The key idea behind the virtual system model is to support customized
views of the system.  These views extend to other features of the
system besides the file system.  In a few days, I will send a more
complete description of the model and what presently exists.  The
virtual system model is described in more detail in:

  B Clifford Neuman. "The Virtual System Model for Large Distributed 
  Operating Systems".  Technical report 89-01-07, Department of
  Computer Science, University of Washington, April 1989.

Send a message with your US Mail address if you would like a copy of
this report.  

	~ Cliff