Well now that the Sun "Bashing" is back.
Let me give you my dream of what would be possible if Sun opened up
Java.
First the spec for a server side Java implementation would be completed
rapidly.
second work begins on a distributed server side VM.
WHat does this mean ??
Think about Java based server which have cluster support built in.
Sun could provide a simple PCI add on card that supported firewire. This
card would covert any PC into
a high speed cluster node supporting a JVM Cluster. This cluster would
be CPU independent allowing you
to mix and match cluster nodes from available hardware. Sun could then
make a PC card like device which supported
a administrative cluster client this replaces the current tty concept.
Servers would then ship without any direct support
for console input but instead have a ports where you could either plug
in a another cluster node or a console node.
This is stuff Sun could sell. Java frees you from the OS/User space
design. Since server side programs must be robust
the best place to make use of this technological freedom is on the
Server not the client (JavaOS).
This system is a Server Interface Computer (SIC)
If Sun opened up Java today this sort of platform could be a reality in
less than a year..
Think about seamless fail over cluster support on the server using any
available hardware. And since this card would
ignore the keyboard and graphics input it is simple to boot and OS on
any PCI based system. The GUI is handle by
a Console node or a Human Interface Computer (HIC).
Also consider apis for advanced agent programming with and open process
research could really take off on agent style
client server systems. Java provides the ability to have mobil code. The
cluster provides a reason for it to move.
These cluster could also continue to use low band with network
connections for extended Beowulf type clusters.
Plus the best clusters would consist of high end boxes like Sun sells.
But now we always write code that is designed to scale.
The bottom line is a distributed VM would be very very good for Sun's
bottom line. And open source initiative would make it possible.
Sun works on the hardware we work on the software.
Second by seperating the HIC from the SIC we can explore various ways
to build a
HIC's in the past have been severely restricted by the lack of network
support and the requirements that all processing is local.
Plus the current controller of the HIC interface has no reason to make
it interoperate well in a distributed environment.
Sun by opening up java and working toward a toward a industry standard
SIC interface also allows the HIC to specialize in its primary purpose
interface with a Human.
Using off the shelf technology a passive back plane box could be
constructed which allows you to plug in and arbitrary number of HIC's
and SIC's
too build what today is considered a work station. It would be very
easy to make a disk drive become a simple specialty SIC.
Or a router or printer or .... The creators of Jini saw this but Sun
destroyed it.
This is a future that's possible the fact that almost everyone is
blinded by Sun's short range approach to java
including Sun itself really saddens me. If Sun truly believed in there
slogan that the Network is the Computer they would
be working towards a goal like this but instead there hobbling the java
platform to the point that people can only look at
Sun's narrow vision for Java(tm) that no one is talking about what
java could become.
I was very exicted about Jini but Sun managed to close it off. In a
world full of HIC's and SIC's Sun the company would do quite well.
Sun should be selling HIC and SIC hardware not closing off the
required java software.
This is why I'm personally not happy with Sun.
It would be nice if other's shared there vision of what's possible in a
world where java was open.
I think that maybe if Sun saw what we would be willing to do with and
open platform they would reconsider.
What if ?
Mike
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