[Info-vax] What does VMS get used for, these days?

[Scott Dorsey]

Simon Clubley  <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>> On 11/11/2022 7:40 PM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
>>> =?UTF-8?Q?Arne_Vajh=c3=b8j?=  <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>>>> On 11/10/2022 9:51 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
>>>>> As software becomes more and more expensive, I think the need to have an
>>>>> efficient operating system that provides database features in the kernel
>>>>> becomes more important.
>>>>
>>>> Database in the actual OS kernel or just database shipping with the
>>>> OS distribution?
>>>>
>>>> It is not uncommon to put application functionality in the
>>>> kernel today, but I am not keen on the idea.
>>> 
>>> I think in the kernel.  Maybe not in the top ring, but in a ring below it.
>>> I want fast database access, I want rapid transaction turnover, I don't care
>>> necessarily about realtime operation or any direct UI other than for
>>> administration, or ever specifically making deadline.  I'm thinking of a
>>> specialized database engine.
>>
>> I don't think I have ever heard about that for database.
>>
>
>Rdb ? :-)

RDB is a start, and RDB is about as tight integration as you can get today.
It was state of the art in the 1980s and allowed better database performance
than anything else on comparable hardware.

I'd like to see that sort of design moved forward into the 21st century with
even tighter integration, maybe a microkernel with very low overhead, and a
special purpose system that does nothing but serve databases out.

We already have some special purpose systems that do nothing but serve web
pages out but for the most part the web frontend can be distributed so there
is little need for the ultimate performance on a single box.  For database
use there is.

Anyone remember the Britton-Lee machine?
--scott
-- 
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."