Memory as a network abstraction

Author

Delp, Gary S. ; Farber, David J. ; Minnich, Ronald G. ; Smith, Jonathan M. ; Tam, Ming-Chit

Author_Institution

Application Bus. Syst., Rochester, MN, USA

Volume

5

Issue

4

fYear

1991

fDate

7/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

34

Lastpage

41

Abstract

An approach to interprocesses communication over fast networks is described. It is based on the assumption that the essence of the problem was the network abstraction, that is, what model the hardware network interfaces provides to the computer. In this approach the network provides the abstraction of computer memory, directly to the application, with no operation system intervention required to effect the movement of data. Three systems based on this idea are examined. They are Memnet, Mether, and CapNet. UPWARDS, an attempt to develop software that can provide access to the bandwidth available in the future high-speed WANs, is also discussed.<>

Keywords

computer networks; network operating systems; CapNet; Memnet; Mether; UPWARDS; University of Pennsylvania Wide Area Distributed System; WAN; computer communication; computer memory; distributed shared memory; interprocesses communication; network abstraction; wide area networks; Application software; Bandwidth; Computer interfaces; Computer networks; Ethernet networks; File systems; Hardware; Network interfaces; Operating systems; Protocols;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Network, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0890-8044

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/65.93183

Filename

93183