Principles Digital Communication System & Computer Networks (Charles River Media Computer Engineering)

25.2 NETWORK COMPUTER

With the advent of the Java programming language, we are now witnessing a revolutionary change in the architecture of computers through the network computer (NC). The NC reference model is shown in Figure 25.6. The beauty of this model is that the hardware platform is independent of the manufacturer. The Java operating system can run on any hardware platform. NC will be connected to the network and access all the resources (including the bootup code) from the network. The attractions of NC are:

• Since there is no need for secondary storage, the cost of a NC will be much lower than the PC, and the maintenance costs are much lower.

• There is no need to store even application software locally; any resource required is obtained from the network. This results in enormous savings in software costs.

• Software renting is possible. This again is a new concept in software usage. Generally, when we buy application software, we use hardly 10% of the features, and also we use the software not so frequently. In such a case, there is no need to keep the software package on the hard disk (and spend a considerable amount of money on it). Instead, the software package can be available on a server on the network and, whenever required, it can be downloaded and only the usage charges are paid to the application service provider (ASP). Software renting—for games, business applications, and so on—is already catching up in many developed countries.

Figure 25.6: NC reference model.

The network computer architecture consists of hardware and software that are independent of the manufacturer. The NC need not have any secondary storage. All applications will reside on the server only. The NC gets connected to the server, downloads the bootup code, and then runs the application.

The NC is creating new avenues of business both for services and for software development. Software development using component technology is the order of the day and, in the future, software development can be much faster and also will result in more reliable systems.