Back in the mid-1980s, Sun Microsystems Inc was just happy for folk to be using its software techniques such as the Network File System. That technology is now a whisker off the $6,000m mark and the business dynamics have changed as it has grown up. That is partly why the latest release of Network File System, version 3.0, is now only available as part of the Open Network Computing suite that also includes ToolTalk inter-application messaging, Network Information Service+ naming, Transport Independent-Remote Procedure Call, auto-mounting and network files, network cacheing and a network debugging tool. It said it also got overwhelmed by the industry-wide process that lead to the creation of Network File System 2.0 – available as an unbundled item – and didn’ t want to repeat the experience with the development and delivery of 3.0, in which companies such as IBM Corp and Cray Research Inc had a hand. It said it can, therefore, understand companies that may be frustrated that NFS 3.0 hasn’t followed the NFS 2.0 release model. In addition to IBM, Hewlett-Packard Co and Sequent Computer Systems Inc, Sun has more than a dozen vendors all signed up for ONC+ with NFS 3.0, including Hitachi Ltd, Cray Research Inc, Samsung Electronics Co, NEC Corp, Toshiba Corp, Data General Corp, Silicon Graphics Inc, AT&T Global Information Solutions, Novell Inc and Santa Cruz Operation Inc. Sun said that it is surprised that Digital Equipment Corp is still holding off in view of the progress of the negotiations, which are apparently more advanced with the Maynarder than with some other vendors that have now signed OEM agreements. Another company that still hasn’t bitten is Convex Computer Corp. Meantime, IBM is moving ahead quickly with its plan to support Open Network Computing alongside Distributed Computing Environment under both AIX Unix and OS/400. An announcement is expected from the company within days.
