Path: utzoo!censor!geac!jtsv16!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!eden!mao
From: mao@eden (Mike Olson)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Stupid question Re: client/server model
Message-ID: <19421@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 10 Nov 89 16:48:30 GMT
References: <1989Nov10.015843.358@welch.jhu.edu>
Reply-To: mao@postgres.Berkeley.EDU (Mike Olson)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 26

i would have sent this reply directly to marcus, but thought that it was
of sufficiently general interest to warrant a posting.

In article <1989Nov10.015843.358@welch.jhu.edu>, mjr@welch.jhu.edu (mjr)
writes:

>	So, my question is: Why hasn't anyone made the server the operating
> system ? Make the data server + TCP/IP + device drivers + glue the OS, boot
> directly into that, and let the thing just sit and listen to a port for
> requests.

several companies have done exactly that.  sharebase (formerly britton lee)
and teradata are two examples.  both manufacture dedicated database machines
that run a special-purpose OS supporting operations that database systems
need.  there's less discussion of their products because most people have
chosen a software-only solution.

emotions on the software-versus-hardware issue run high; if you want my
opinions, send me mail and i'll discuss it off-line.

for the record:  i'm a former employee of britton lee.

					mike olson
					postgres research group
					uc berkeley
					mao@postgres.Berkeley.EDU