Coda File System

Re: Is Coda Right For Me.

From: Stephen J. Turnbull <stephen_at_xemacs.org>
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 05:09:35 -0400
>>>>> "Kevin" == Kevin Atkinson <kevin_at_atkinson.dhs.org> writes:

    >> Not really; the server already does not worry about what the
    >> client has (the client may have gone disconnected, remember).

    Kevin> How has the client gone disconnected?  I never said that.

No, it's the Coda design spec which assumes, nay emphasizes, that the
client may go disconnected.  You keep ignoring that, but it is the
fundamental consideration in all Coda design.

You were hoping that Coda would serve in your application.
Unfortunately, it was not designed for it, and it appears not to be a
"simple matter of programming" to add the features you want while
conforming to the original spec.

    Kevin> What exactly do you mean by "reliable stream"?

Once started, the bytes keep coming without error and at a fast-enough
pace regardless of the foreseeable variations in the environment.  Ie,
with Coda's assumptions about "foreseeable variations", you should be
able to continue burning the CD if you unplug the ethernet cable.

Coda is probably not for you in your application.  But it's hard to
say if there's something better.  And if Coda saves half your file
copies, and increases your rate of "cache hits" (ie, desired files
actually being on your notebook when it's disconnected), it could be a
win despite being less than ideal.  But you won't be able to evaluate
it if you insist on treating it as something it isn't.


-- 
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences     http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
 My nostalgia for Icon makes me forget about any of the bad things.  I don't
have much nostalgia for Perl, so its faults I remember.  Scott Gilbert c.l.py
Received on 2002-10-16 13:26:14