computer science

Network Computing System

Network Computing System 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 Computing System rather than just read about it. In short: The Network Computing System (NCS) was an implementation of the Network Computing Architecture (NCA), launched in 1987. It comprised a set of tools for implementing distributed software applications, or distributed computing.

Key takeaways

Network Computing System 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 Computing System to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Network Computing System from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Network Computing System (NCS) was an implementation of the Network Computing Architecture (NCA), launched in 1987. It comprised a set of tools for implementing distributed software applications, or distributed computing. The three principal components of NCS were a runtime environment for remote procedure calls, a network interface definition language (NIDL) compiler, and a location broker service. The location broker differentiated NCS from similar offerings, such as the rival Open Network Computing technology from Sun Microsystems, by permitting services to be distributed in a dynamic fashion and offering the possibility of "location independence". The design and implementation of DCE/RPC, the remote procedure call mechanism in the Distributed Computing Environment, is based on NCA/NCS. In response to a request for proposals from the Open Software Foundation for distributed computing environments, NCS featured in the DEcorum proposal submitted by Apollo, by then incorporated as a division within Hewlett-Packard, along with IBM, Locus Computing, Transarc, Digital Equipment Corporation and Microsoft. It also was the first implementation of universally unique identifiers, these being employed by the location broker to identify objects in the distributed system.

References

Bibliography Kong, Mike; et al. (Apollo Computer Inc.) (1987). Network Computing System Reference Manual. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-617085-4. Zahn, Lisa; et al. (Apollo Computer Inc.) (1990). Network Computing Architecture. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-611674-4. Lyons, Tom (1991). Network Computing System Tutorial. Hewlett-Packard Company, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-617242-3 P. Leach et al. (2005). RFC 4122 — A Universally Unique IDentifier (UUID) URN Namespace. Internet Engineering Task Force.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Network Computing System

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Network Computing System 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 Computing System 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 Computing System 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 Computing System

In research: Network Computing System 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 Computing System 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 Computing System is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Internet Protocol based network software, Programming language topic stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Network Computing System 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 Computing System in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Network Computing System 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 Computing System out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Network Computing System in simple terms?

Why does Network Computing System 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 Computing System?

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 Computing System.