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The Newcastle Connection or Unixes of the World Unite

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Classic Operating Systems

Abstract

In this paper we describe a software subsystem that can be added to each of a set of physically interconnected UNIX or UNIX look-alike systems, so as to construct a distributed system which is functionally indistinguishable at both the user and the program level from a conventional single-processor UNIX system. The techniques used are applicable to a variety and multiplicity of both local and wide area networks, and enable all issues of inter-processor communication, network protocols, etc., to be hidden. A brief account is given of experience with such a distributed system, which is currently operational on a set of PDP11s connected by a Cambridge Ring. The final sections compare our scheme to various precursor schemes and discuss its potential relevance to other operating systems.

D. R. Brownbridge, L. F. Marshall and B. Randell, The Newcastle Connection or UNIXes of the World Unite! Software—Practice and Experience 12, 12 (December 1982), 1147–1162.

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Brownbridge, D.R., Marshall, L.F., Randell, B. (2001). The Newcastle Connection or Unixes of the World Unite. In: Hansen, P.B. (eds) Classic Operating Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3510-9_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3510-9_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-2881-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-3510-9

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