Electronic Notes in Theoretical Computer Science �� No� � ������URL� http���www�elsevier�nl�locate�entcs�volume���html � pages

Why networks aren�t programmable�or� why programs aren�t protocols�

James E� White

General Magic Inc�� ��� North Mary Avenue Sunnyvale� CA ����� USA

Abstract

For �� years now� since the early work on RPC in the early years of the Arpanet�

computer scientists have devised programming languages that would simplify the

design and implementation of distributed applications� Yet today the phenomenally

successful Internet employs simple text�based protocols �HTTP� SMTP� etc�� and

the phenomenally successful Java programming language relegates RPC to a library

�RMI��

Why aren�t we using distributed programming languages to develop distributed

applications� The reasons are both technical and commercial� This talk will discuss

the commercial trends in distributing computing and identify some of the technical

obstacles to the commercial application of distributing programming techniques�

c����� Published by Elsevier Science B� V�