CAREER: Delivering Computational Services over the Internet

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This integrated research and education proposal describes a new server-centric approach to computing based on the premise that advances in network speed and ubiquity have created the conditions in which a computer utility can be used to deliver computational services over the Internet to end users. The computer utility model described is one in which users' entire computing environment, including all applications, data, and the window system, reside on professionally-managed servers. Users can then access their computing environments from any Internet-enabled client device. The proposed research will focus on three areas: (1) remote display technologies to enable remote graphical access to applications without requiring any application modifications, (2) server resource management mechanisms to deliver guaranteed levels of performance to large numbers of interactive users, and (3) server cluster resource management that will effectively load balance, allocate, and reliably provide computing resources from a cluster of servers to users and groups of users. The proposal also describes how the research will be applied and integrated with curriculum development efforts to develop an IT distance learning education laboratory for teaching systems courses, particularly operating systems.