Computer Wan with Locally Transparent Use of Resources

Local transparency means that the location of distributed components in a computer network are hidden for the user of the net. All available components are resources or elements of the network-connected computers. The access to such distributed elements is realized in network operating systems and distributed operating systems via the client/server organization model. This model subdivides the network programs into instances which initiate the executions (client program part of the network program) and into service o ering resp. executing partner instances (server program part of the network program). The access to distant elements (elements of another computer) is not realized directly and requires an ordering relation between local client process and distant server process. 1. De nition of Objects An important aspect for the access to the elements distributed in the network is their clear notation. Their identi ers are within context of the client/server ordering relation unequivocal. Regarding this fact it is not the purpose of the development to o er a global name space for the notation of all possible elements. But of importance is the unequivocal identi cation of the o ered services and the localization of the corresponding server processes allover the network. Such a system represents a service administration instance, for the client/server model. Its administrated objects are the functions declare as services which can be applied to the elements of a computer. Such objects are best described and can be identi ed by their special functional attributes. Such a form of identi cation is not a suitable method for a system of a locally transparent use of distributed components Manuscript received June 15, 1995. Dipl. Ing. W. Haas is with Ruhr University Bochum, 44721 Bochum, Germany. Prof. Dr Dr hc. W. Weber is director of Institute for Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, 44721 Bochum, Germany.