[43] in Athena_Backup_System
Re: Issues raised at the "High-Level Design" review
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (dkk@MIT.EDU)
Sat Dec 3 07:53:55 1994
From: dkk@MIT.EDU
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 94 07:53:43 -0500
To: Diane Delgado <delgado@MIT.EDU>
Cc: athena-backup@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Diane Delgado's message of Fri, 02 Dec 1994 18:05:56 EST,
<9412022305.AA16322@green-acres.MIT.EDU>
> I also note that during the review, those who objected most also
> described the public domain databases as "garbage", so no-one has
> yet come up with a better alternative.
That was in reference to public-domain DBMSs. The preferred
alternative of the hawks was a set of custom-coded ndbm-based database
functions. That alternative (the only alternative, really) was not
described by anyone as garbage.
It appears to me that the only reason we'll be going forward with a
DBMS without first having an extensive period of proving the
technology is this outside resolution you mentioned. This makes our
work simpler, but it would still be good to demonstrate to ourselves
that the DBMS we use can handle abrupt termination and recovery with
minimal assistance.
[in the Threads section:]
> Since the target platform for the master is solaris and solaris
> has native threads, we might as well take advatage of them.
As long as it doesn't depend on any particular capabilities of
Solaris' threads, or any other feature that another modern OS may
lack. (IRIX is an OS we should definitely keep in mind, considering
it looks like the next Athena platform.)
> so surely someone here knows AFS?
AFS is not a good example... I get the feeling that native american
medecine men understood spirits better than we understand AFS...
Diane, what do we need to sacrifice to our servers to avoid
melt-downs? Can we perform the ceremony at any time, or just during a
full moon?
:-)
As I'm sure you know, I'm not opposed to the use of threads. But AFS
might be only slightly better an example than Ingres...
------------
I think this leaves two issues for us:
1. Finding out what the result of the database change-of-stand was.
We don't need to know about the politics involved, but we do need to
know the outcome.
2. Can we get buy-in for the limited use of threads you outlined.
I guess we'll deal with #1 on Thursday.
