Stung by claims that the Hewlett-Packard-Apollo Network Computing System technology underlying DEcorum is technically superior to its own Network File System/Open Network Computing products, Sun Microsystems is this week issuing its own distributed computing roadmap, which outlines the future development of Open Network Computing, emphasising that it will be built on the existing installed base. The document outlines improvements that Sun will be making to its Remote Procedure Call, the RPC compiler, and naming, time-synchronisation and authentication services, as well as significant enhancements to Network File System itself. An enhanced Remote Procedure Call, called Transport-Independent RPC, will run on a variety of transport networks, including TCP/IP and networks to the Open Systems Interconnection model. Already being shipped as part of Unix System V.4, the Trans port Independent RPC is supported by personal computer local network vendors such as 3Com Corp, Novell Inc and Banyan Systems Inc. This, and the RPC Tool compiler Sun is developing with Netwise Inc, will be available on Sun kit in second half of 1990. Sun’s Network Infor mation Service naming system will also be enhanced to provide strong er consistency between servers and improved security, and Sun also plans a distributed location and binding service similar to the one in Network Computing System by mid- 1991. Other features the additi on this year of Time-Synchronisati on services (to synchronise world wide networks) and next year of the Kerberos security and authenticati on model, also mirror DEcorum work.
