[OpenAFS] software for windows start out of OpenAFS File space?

[ted creedon]

In the "olden days" large corporations used central file servers and
diskless workstations for 2 reasons, 1. cost 2. software configuration
management.

Hence NFS and central licensing servers like the FlexLM LM License Server
which allowed large customers like HP to upgrade thousands of instances of
CAD tools easily. This is still the case for large, expensive software
packages. The best implementation was Mentor Graphics' Aegis (BSD) operating
system with Domain (token ring) Networking. Totally proprietary but worked
very well.

Commodity PCs (with the emphasis on personal) and Windows broke that
paradigm and MS will sell blanket licenses, eliminating the need for central
licensing - and/or central file servers. Things Windows doesn't support
well.

Currently AFS fits in nicely as a data storage and backup system and also as
a software package install server. It essentially replaces NFS for
Unix/Linux apps. The AFS ability to separate data (R/W) from executables
(RO) in separate volumes is much better than the virus prone MS
architecture. I.e. one can trust an RO volume.

There's a strong possibility that Linux desktop apps may gain market share
because of Vista's cost and technologies like NX allow thin workstations to
perform acceptably over the net. AFS fits in nicely.

The rumored virtualization in Vista could increase the use of AFS since MS
will have to tackle the use of multiple instances of a licensed package on
the same machine. I assume this will use .NET assemblies in the Global
Assembly Cache which is file, not registry, based. Theoretically the GAC
could reside on a central server. Token lifetimes might be a problem.

My viewpoint is that a BIOS with a "boot from AFS" capability would be just
great.

Tedc