computer science

Network Computer Reference Profile

Network Computer Reference Profile is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Network Computer Reference Profile rather than just read about it. In short: Network Computer Reference Profile (NC reference profile, NCRP) was a specification for a network computer put forward by Oracle Corporation, endorsed by Sun Microsystems, IBM, Apple Computer, and Netscape, and finalized in 1996. NC1 The first version of this specification was known as the NC1 Reference Profile.

Network Computer Reference Profile — illustration

Key takeaways

Network Computer Reference Profile belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Network Computer Reference Profile to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Network Computer Reference Profile from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Network Computer Reference Profile (NC reference profile, NCRP) was a specification for a network computer put forward by Oracle Corporation, endorsed by Sun Microsystems, IBM, Apple Computer, and Netscape, and finalized in 1996.

NC1

The first version of this specification was known as the NC1 Reference Profile. NCRP specified minimum hardware requirements and software protocols. Among the software requirements were support of IP-based protocols (TCP/IP, FTP, etc.), www standards (HTTP, HTML, Java), email protocols, multimedia file formats, security standards. Operating systems used were NCOS or JavaOS. The minimum hardware requirements were:

minimum screen resolution of 640 x 480 (VGA) or equivalent pointing device text input ability audio output Although this initial NC standard was intended to promote the diskless workstation model of computing, it did not preclude computers with additional features, such as the ability to operate either as a diskless workstation or a conventional fat client. Thus, an ordinary personal computer (PC) having all the required features, could technically be classified as a Network Computer; indeed, Sun noted that contemporary PCs did indeed meet the NC reference requirements.

StrongARM The reference profile was subsequently revised to use the StrongARM processor.

Intel After a trip by Ellison to Acer Group headquarters in 1996, he realised the importance to industry of having products based on Intel (x86-compatible) processors. NCI president Jerry Baker noted that "nobody [corporate users] had ever heard of the ARM chip".

Options Many NCs operated via protocols such as BOOTP, DHCP, RARP and NFS. Both for ISP-bound and LAN-based reference implementation NCs, a smartcard option was available. This allowed user authentication to be performed in a secure manner, with SSL providing transport security. The smartcard also provided minimal local storage for ISP dialup configuration settings. This configuration data was not required for LAN-based NCs.

See also Network Computer, the brand, created by Oracle, for which the NCRP was the specification

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Network Computer Reference Profile

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Network Computer Reference Profile claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Network Computer Reference Profile before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Network Computer Reference Profile ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Network Computer Reference Profile

In research: Network Computer Reference Profile appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Network Computer Reference Profile in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Network Computer Reference Profile is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Network Computer, Networking standards, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Network Computer Reference Profile outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Network Computer Reference Profile in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Network Computer Reference Profile means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Network Computer Reference Profile out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Network Computer Reference Profile in simple terms?

Why does Network Computer Reference Profile matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Network Computer Reference Profile?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Network Computer Reference Profile.