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From: geoff@desint.UUCP (Geoff Kuenning)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: real-time II
Message-ID: <238@desint.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Nov-84 03:09:59 EST
Article-I.D.: desint.238
Posted: Thu Nov 22 03:09:59 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Nov-84 07:54:30 EST
References: <5876@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: his home computer, Manhattan Beach, CA
Lines: 20

In article <5876@brl-tgr.ARPA> Barry Shein writes:

>	...and besides, if you don't consider handling disks
>	and high performance network devices a real-time
>	problem then you are kidding yourself. Its really
>	all quite similar.

My definition of a real time constraint is one that will have catastrophic
consequences for the system if it is violated.  What are the catastrophic
consequences of delaying a disk interrupt, or completely missing a newtork
interrupt?  Compare this to the consequences of a missed cutoff of the
space shuttle main engine.

Many people seem to think that 'real-time' is the same as 'high-performance'.
Although the two often go hand in hand, they are really quite different.
-- 

	Geoff Kuenning
	First Systems Corporation
	...!ihnp4!trwrb!desint!geoff