©

20

02

Home Alliance Platform(s) for Computing, Entertainment, and Control

Digital Equipment Corporation Platform Creation Experience.

Standards & Platforms Heuristics.

Future Mini-Vision for the.

September 20, 2002

Gordon Bell, Microsoft Research

gbell@microsoft.com

©

20

02

“The future is already here –it’s just not evenly distributed.”

©

20

02Points to cover

DEC: Platforms made it and destroyed it

Standards aka platform creation heuristics

Homely environments and platforms for

Computing and media merger Entertainment: audio, games, TV,

video (including security) Communication akaTelephony Control??

Plan/Vision: Build from strength & needs…

create the IP Infrastructure for computing,

add media capture and management

evolve telephony, security, and control?

©

20

02Platforms are enabling standards… Machine platforms enable endless

products – Bobcats, Cuisinarts … Computers.

Great platforms preserve and enhance investments e.g. software, data … t,$

A good platform stimulates applications, use and “complementors”

Are we talking platform, peripheral, component, or just another random product?

How do you architect platforms?

Generality

©

20

02Computer Platform Evolution

1. In the beginning: Programs rode on bare metal… Program components were collected and loaded together into the computer, and ran. “A true PC”.

2. The computer and organization take charge: Batch operating systems… job control, etc.

3. Timesharing environments: services e.g. editor, language providing a “virtual computer” to each user

4. Personal computer… evolution followed timesharing

5. WWW: The Ultimate Client-Server environment.

6. GRID, .NET et al… now computers can use the web

©

20

02

Physical layers of integration (t)

Vertically integrated vs dis-integrated

Levels-of-integration: Customer-specific Professional apps

(e.g. accounting) Generic apps (Word) Language & database Operating system Hardware platform Hardware

components Circuits and

processor architecture

Eachcompany &

sub-industryprovides

everylevel-of-

integration(e.g.

mainframes… minis)

toensure

proprietaryenvironments 6 Microprocessor

Keiretsus

Lang's & DbasesOracle...Sybase

Windows, VendorIXAIX ... HP/UX

WP, SS, MailWord... Excel

e.g. CAD, CAM

Disk, tapes, etc

1950s-present 1982-present

...

©

20

02

Org. apps

Prof.apps

Generic apps

Std. Langs

Oper.Sys.

Hardware Platform

Inst.Set Arch IBM

IBM 360

IBM

Fujistu,Hitachi, IBM

Org. apps

Prof.apps

Generic apps

Std. Langs

Oper.Sys.Microsoft

Hardware Platform

Inst.Set Arch Intel

Intel - Microsoft“IBM PC"

few

1000s

few

10,000sbinary std. binary std.

The IBM “Mainframe” & "IBM PC“

User Data and Content

©

20

02DEC Platform “Experiences”

Generality was the over-arching architecture focus

GB: “The one fatal mistake is too few address bits.” c1970, 1978, 1990.PDP-11 (1969-85) & VAX (1977-1999). IPV4

& IPv6 The importance of standards increased with

time 1960s: platform to preserve software

investment 1970s: ISA, bus (Unibus), Language(s),

O/Ss 1980s: O/S (including a database) and

apps VAX/VMS Architecture (and architects)

VAX architectural office defined VAX. VMS defined & implemented by Dave

Cutler VAX Strategy (CGB)… many computer

sizes/styles with interconnects for one program platform

DIX– Ethernet, the world’s interconnect standard IBM Token Ring standard made $$$s; cost the world

Three PCs c1982. Platform failure!!!

©

20

02

Unibus: for building block computers 1970s-1990s

Elegance - One, general purpose switch to connect:processor and memoryi/o and memoryprocessor and i/oeven i/o and i/o

Longevityi/o communication remained for 15 yearsprocessor and memory links became specialized

Progenitor ofNearly all computers, e.g. “multis”

Procesors if any,I/O

Memories comm

15 m> 1 m > .20cm.

©

20

02

VAX Strategy as presented to BOD 12/78.Valid until 88-92

©

20

02

Ethernet: The Unibus of the 80s (UART of the 90s)

Ethernet designed forDEC: Interconnected VAXen, terminalsXerox: Enabled distributed computing (SUN, PCs)

Ethernet evolved into nets, boxes, and an industry Distributed computing was very hard, evolving into

expensive, asymmetric, hard to maintain,client server for a VendorIXapps are bound to a configuration & VendorIX!network is NOT the computer

Internet is less hierarchical, democratic, peer-peer

computeserver

printserver

fileserver

commserver

Clients

2Km

©

20

02

Gordon’s standards heuristics

1. Either make the standard or follow one. If you fail you do it twice.

2. If the standard changes, change rapidly3. Revolution: It’s ok to foment revolution when a standard is

wrong.4. Somebody has to be responsible.5. Minimize the number of “responsible” people, organizations.

Too much involvement guarantees failure.6. Almost any standard is often better than none. Progress from

regression.7. Provide and plan for evolution; it’s often the fastest way.

The evolution of a real standard is likely to beat the “ideal”.8. Base the standard on experience, not on a committee design; if

you haven’t lived with a proposed standard, don’t adopt it. The only way to ensure a real standard is to implement it.

9. Make the standard precise, understandable, applicable, and useful at several levels of detail.

10. Only one or a few standards are needed or can exist for the same function; a standard should aim toward unifying a set of alternatives. Ideally, an interface (or platform) standard should define the Interface between sets of parts, not just two parts.

Having too many standards is like having none.

©

20

02

Gordon’s very own Vision for the evolution of Home Networks

We’re on a quest for cyberization Three networks need to converge for:

computation, communication and entertainment

A look inside the home A look at the black boxes Integrating audio, photos, video and

TV

©

20

02

"The PC is going to be the place where you store the information … really the center of control“ Billg 1/7/2001MyLifeBits is an “on-going” project following

CyberAll to “cyberize” all of personal bits!Memory recall of books, CDs, communication, papers, photos, videoPhotos of physical object collections Elimination of all physical stores & objectsContent source for home media: ambiance, entertainment, communication, interaction Freestyle for CDs, photos, TV content, videosAll telephone conversations and messagesGoal: to understand the 1 TByte PC: need, utility, cost, feasibility, challenge & tools.

©

20

02

Region/Region/IntranetIntranet

CampusCampusHomeHome

BodyBody

WorldWorld

ContinentContinent

Cyberspace: A Network of ... Networks of ...

©

20

02

DataData

Cyberspace: one, two or three networks?

TelephonyTelephony

TelevisionTelevision

©

20

02

Broad-cast

Cable

PBX

VCRCDs>97

LECsTV

LongDist.

LECsDBS

TheInternet

clients/servers

LANs

Pvt.WANs

Cablephone

CableI’net

LANPBX

I’netPhone

Games

Wire-less

Wire-less

Television world Telephony

world

Datacom world

The Colliding Worlds of TV, Telephony & Datacom a.k.a. Computing & Internet

ITV?

RADIO

©

20

02

Vcr, settop, media and channel co’s for Television

©

20

02

Digital Rights Management… unless MPAA provides a reasonable market for media, the world will be wholly converted into thieves.

1. Provide a “reasonable” market and industry for renting, owning, viewing, etc. content

2. Make it illegal to record video, police every hard drive, and prosecute users

3. Eliminate the “open video” interface and replace with DVI

Set-top MonitorCable

etc“Open vs DVI

Encoder

©

20

02

64 pair phone cable

US WestPhone System

PBX

20 digital lines

8 analog lines

VMail

Fax

DSS

Phones

CD/DVD Catalog

CATV TCI CableModulaorsSpliters

CH 90

CH 91

CH 92

600 CDJukebox

To CATV Outletsaround house

PhastController

SoundSystem

SecuritycameraCH 94

SmartLightSwitches

SprinkerValves

AudioZones

IntercomZones

SecuritySystem

RadiantHeat Valves

Thermostats

PhastProcessor

Data Network

MoistureSensors

Garage dooropeners

Sensors inHouse

RoomKeypads

Garage doorsensors

Caller ID

Fiber to nextdoor house

Den ColorPrinter

Bonus RoomLaser Printer

200 DVDJukebox

CH 93

4 VMail lines

To TheaterSystem

AM/F MReceiver

NT Serverw/BackOffice Den Laser

Printer

Rec RoomGaming PC

Theater RoomGaming PCFamily Room

Gaming PCBonus RoomGaming PC

Den PCJake’s RoomPC

Gaming 2-channel intercom network

Intercom to next door

Chris’s RoomPC Bonus Room

PC

……

…

Brianv’s Home

©

20

02

gbell small home network hub for wired and wireless data, security, CATV, and telephony… no free lunch•DSL (IP dial tone) and cable data

•Ethernet and 802.11b (2.4 GHz) internal•Telephony and 2.4 GHz telephony•Fax switching•Power and UPS•Security•Cable TV

©

20

02Living room wiring

©

20

02

A Digital Transformer for Audio: Gateway’s Connected Home Audio Player built by Turtle Beach

©

20

02Home media network with Digital Transformers…

mediaserver

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

* 8 #

IP phone

networkmic

Print Server

Link/Rx LPT1 LPT2 COMPower/TXdtPWR

OK

WIC0ACT/CH0

ACT/CH1

WIC0ACT/CH0

ACT/CH1

ETHACT

COL

router

PC

Internet

Print Server

Link/Rx LPT1 LPT2 COMPower/TXdt

Print Server

Link/Rx LPT1 LPT2 COMPower/TXdt

networkcameraradio

CATV

homenetwork

stereonetworkmonitor

networkspeaker

dt = digital transformer

TVHDTV

©

20

02

Existing Home Entertainment Centers

DVD

Sniffer Servermonitoring/analysis

radioCD

DVDcassette

PVR

set top

amp

HDTV receiver

surroundspeakers

HEWLETT

PACKARD

POWERFAULT DATA ALARM

camera

... remotes

TV

©

20

02

The “Black PC” aka DHEC: Digital Home Entertainment Center

monitor

amp

Digital HomeEntertainment

Center

surroundspeakers

camera tabletPC onradioLAN

©

20

02A digital hub

©

20

02

©

20

02Media center 2

©

20

02Scenes from Media Center

©

20

02

Robie, a Mobile Robot for Telepresence, surveillance & video conferencing with messenger access.

©

20

02Telepresence: being there

©

20

02The End

©

20

02

platform, peripheral, protocol … appliance, application, architecture, & interface Architecture Interface Protocol Platform & peripheral System: One person’s system is

another person’s component Component Appliances: e.g. camera, editor, Application and appolution User as in ui, gui, vui

©

20

02

"Standards" Types industry i.e. de facto one company

-intel/Microsoft; IBM 360… proprietary VendorIX - the n-UNIX dialect

platforms trade-mark UNIX™ AT&T >Novell PR standards - OSF + COSE =1170 “open” if it’s LINUX… but watch it go

proprietary de jour, or faux = proprietary + ? standards gov’t & int’l bodies – e.g. CCITT, IEEE, OSI,

POSIX) de jure >>government mandated - ADA,

DES, OSI, VHDL implicit platform proprietary database/app --

Oracle cross-industry forum - e.g. JPEG & MPEG consortia – e.g. ATM, Bluetooth, Xopen, OSF,

OMG company centered consortia - e.g.

PowerOpen, Sparc Int. chaotic - The first Internet & MOSAIC

©

20

02

"Standards" Types & Suppliersindustry i.e. de facto one company with a common system

for PCs to multiprocessors (Intel/Microsoft); IBM 360, 370… evolution

proprietary UNIX VendorIX platform suppliers that advertise open-ness & compatibility, but are platform lock-ins ... e.g. self-incompatible SUN environments

a trade-mark, UNIX™ AT&T's failed effort sold to another disinterested party (Novell)

self-declared or PR standards (OSF & COSE)open or de jure a slow-moving, gov't & international bodies

defining irrelevant standards (ATM, Bluetooth, POSIX, OSI)

implicit Database suppliers with cross-platform databases & proprietary apps (Oracle ...Sybase)

explicit Cross-platform environment builders (Visix...Powersoft)

wanna be de facto consortium of 2-3 companies defining 2-3 sets of environments (Apple, IBM)

Faux standards = proprietary + real standards

©

20

02

Section: de facto vs de jure vs "open" standards"open-ness" is meaningless, irrelevant,& non-existent“standard” usually means different or not the same An open system (IEEE P1003.0) is one that

implements sufficient open specifications* for interfaces, services, and supporting formats to enable properly engineered apps software to: 1. be ported with minimal or no changes to a

wide range of systems 2. interoperate with other apps on local & remote

systems 3. interact with users in a style that facilitates user

portability. *Open specs are public & maintained by an "open",

consensus process to accommodate new technology (t) consistent with international standards.

©

20

02

Tests for apps portability, compatibility,and platforms open-ness

Is there a single source file for all apps for all ports of an app across multiple platforms?

Is there a single user manual & training course for all ports of an app across multiple platforms?

Is there one format for the removable media & server for all ports of an app across multiple platforms?

Can an arbitrary Client-Server apps interoperate across multiple vendor platforms running either Client or Server?

©

20

02

Standards, Portability, Interoperability, and Open-ness

Standards are aimed at portability & interoperability, however user investment is data and the apps that interpret that data

Portability is the ability to move apps, data, and people among “computer” system architectures.

Interoperability is the ability for people and programs to exchange information in a meaningful way.

An open system (IEEE P1003.0) is one that implements sufficient open specifications* for interfaces, services, and supporting formats to enable properly engineered applications software to: 1. be ported with minimal or no changes to a wide range of

systems 2. interoperate with other apps on local & remote systems 3. interact with users in a style that facilitates user portability.

*Open specs are public & maintained by an "open", consensus process to accommodate new technology (t) consistent with international standards.

Hardware platform, VendorIX, dbase, app, user chain

Micro2

Platform

UNIX1

Micro1 Micro6

Platform Platform Platform Platform

UNIX2-1 UNIXj-1 UNIX75UNIX2-2 UNIX2

App

User User User User

App App

Dbase2Dbase1 Dbase10

UNIXj-2

Dbasek