HOMEWORK 2

Assigned: October 12, 1999
Due: October 26, 1999 (before class)

Please use outside sources of information (not your classmates) where you deem necessary.

Note: Please hand in printed versions of the homework assignment on the due date.

1)  Explain clearly the main function of a Network OS. Without going into the specifics of any particular product explain the difference between a Client-server Network OS and a Peer-to-peer Network OS.

2)  Explain how media access polling works and compare it with token-passing and broadcast media access methods. Name a protocol that is based on media access polling technique.

3)  Book discusses differences between:

1. Message-oriented middleware

2. Remote procedure calls, and

3. Object request brokers.

List one example of each and list at least two major differences among them.

When would you use which middleware mechanism?  (This is actually a real question I was asked in an interview).

4)   What is IP6? What problem is it attempting to resolve?  How feasible will it be to implement IP6 over the current standard (list why it will be feasible and why not)?