Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!enea!pesv
From: pesv@enea.se (Peter Svenson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.misc
Subject: The 'edge' in OS-designs
Message-ID: <2760@enea.se>
Date: 23 Feb 88 14:09:49 GMT
Reply-To: pesv@enea.se (Peter Svenson)
Organization: ENEA DATA AB, Sweden
Lines: 34

Maybe there is a more apt newsgroup to post this message in, but here goes
anyway..

I wonder whether there is any research going on in the area of advanced
O/S designs? What is advanced?  Well, like ''the next generation''
I have been wondering if there is no better way to organize a system's
structure than the now quite dated directory-subdirectory filesystems.
Also most O/S's, no matter how distinct ususally behave in the same
general manner when it comes to multitasking, virtual memory, etc.

I do not say that this is 'Bad' in any way, I just wonder if there
are any fresh ideas that may yet have to be tested due to the current
wimpy power of todays computers.

OK, ok, I give up!  What it is, is, I've read William Gibson's book
 Neuromancer. If you've read it, you know what I'm up to allready.

The current state of the art  O/S's work pretty neat.. up to a point.
But what about the research in object-oriented O/S's with underlying
MASSIVELY parallel architectures, that can support hundred of TERAbytes
of *primary* memory, or where the primary and secundary memory blend
together.  Where all machines on a network (and I'm talking networks
over countries here) blend into one single 'entity'. What kind of
tricks will an O/S have to do support these kind of things in a 
coherent manner?  I am fully aware of that I am now raving madly, but
if (and only if) there is anyone engaged in this kind of work (if you
at all can understand what I'm getting at) or have any hints, I'd
appreciate all information whatsoever.

Thanks in advance,
-- 
Peter (turbo) Svenson	pesv@enea (UUCP)   enea!pesv@seismo.arpa (ARPA)
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The Kabbalistic Karate Viking from outer space.Save it, chum. Long time, no Foo