“Imagine computers in a group providing disk storage for their users, transparently swapping files and optimizing their collective performance, all with no central administration. But the machines providing this pool of virtual storage dare not trust one another completely. Indeed, a hacker takes over one of them and ruthlessly begins attacking others in the group. But not to worry. Thanks to an experimental operating system technology called Byzantine fault-tolerant protocols, users and their data are protected.” Interesting article at CNN, exploring the FarSite project that Microsoft Research and once again exploring the idea and the potential of Distributed Operating Systems.
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Eugenia Loli
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It should be no surprise to anyone that Microsoft wants complete control over your system’s configuration. This is why most people like Linux–because they can configure it to how they like it.
i would be very surprised to see fault-tolerant system from microsoft because their buisness model is based on a saw tooth curve. They release software that become worst and worst to a zenith that come exactly in conjunction with their new OS release. This give the perfect illusion that the new OS is better.
so, a fault-tolerant system can only come from a very serious organisation having no commercial interest.
Byzantine? Does it include little backdoors like history tought us?
microsoft says: “our new system is great and completely secure* from hackers even on your own network.”
users say: “great, now i dont have to use passwords any more… and i can use outlook express with all the stupid attachments people send me!”
“* — microsoft cannot be held responsible for any false claims it has made in the past, present or future.”
I thought this might have been a duplicate post (since I read the article a few days ago), so I searched for ‘Brave’ since it’s not the most common of words for an article.
You should try it. 1997… that’s quite old for this site.
Don’t you have better things to do than research to see if it was a re-post, and make unnecessary comments?
I do.
At any rate, this is the first i’ve heard of it. I don’t knwo if microsoft can pull it off, and i can’t imagine right now that it would do individuals that much good. Sure there will be several things you can name off, but do the same with the possible headaches it might impose. Purely conjecture i know, but hey.. at least i’m conjecturing instead of looking for ways to be a snot.
Dr. Sneed
This is why most people like Linux…
I didn’t know most people had even heard of Linux. 😉
I think he meant that’s the reason why most people who like Linux like it. Not that most people like Linux.
If you take Microsoft out of the that article, and actually read it for what its trying to say instead of who is making it, i find it quite interesting.
Claiming it to be hacker proof would be down right STUPID but the simple fact of having such a network going would be neat. But i dont think it should be a worldwide thing, maybe each house has its nodes and they dont talk to the outside type of deal. Frankly i dont want my computer doing someone else’ dirty work computing rendering porno.