What is a network operating system? To answer this question we need to first understand what a network operating system (NOS) is. A network operating system is a collection of software components that allows for communication between network devices. It also controls how those communication processes work. The main purpose is to allow a communication process to run in a timely, reliable, and efficient manner regardless of the network speed and location.
Basically, network operating systems control and provide a way for communication devices to talk to one another. This means that they determine the communication process. In a network, a communication device can include any of the following: an interface card, a hardware device, a router, a network card, a virtual private network adapter (VPN), or a smart card. Network operating systems are typically separated into two distinct categories. They are either a distributed operating system (DOs) or a central operating system (CO).
Let’s start by considering the differences and similarities between these two categories of network operating systems. Both share some common characteristics such as support for a wide range of input and output devices, support for multiple processes running at the same time, support for various forms of input/output, and the ability to perform logical processing. Also both share the ability to multitask. With regards to application support, both share some examples including Java, Perl, Tcl/Tk, Python, Shell, DOS applications, and many more. Of course, each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Distributed operating systems are less mature than a network device such as a PC. Hardware resources are shared more aggressively. Modern technologies such as the X Kernel, the KiBB process, and mmp(?) have reduced the overhead associated with using this type of technology. Unfortunately, it has also increased programming choices and moved the burden of managing hardware resources from the end-user to the developers.
For example, because of the X Kernel, programmers must deal with two processes running simultaneously. If one program crashes the other, the operating system must take over the mac os. If one software program fails, there will be a gap in service. Developers and users must share responsibility for solving bugs and performing updates. Obviously, this is not ideal, but this is one of the network operating systems that was forced to grow with advancing technology.
Centralized systems, such as Windows and Linux, provide hardware isolation and limited resource management. The concern is whether it is cost-effective to run multiple computers in the same system. Although Microsoft has provided the foundation for several open-source real-time operating systems like Red Hat, Gentoo, Novell, and others, Novell is the only mainstream OS that does not provide centralized management. In other words, if one developer implements a new feature, it can be deployed, but if another developer implements the same feature, it will have to wait for the current developer to implement it. This scenario repeats itself indefinitely.
One of the most pervasive problems facing modern network applications is network latency. Latency refers to the delay that an individual device experiences between when the device requests a data piece and when that data is delivered to the device. This creates a delay in the rate that information is exchanged from one application to another application, and in the rate that information is transferred back between different application software components. Delays increase both the time and cost associated with network use.
Network support for highly optimized information exchange protocols is one of the key advantages of network software-defined networking over the traditional server infrastructure. The ability to define secure sockets layer (SSL) for transmitting sensitive data between web applications like Java Script and HTML provides additional protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. These security features are another of the key advantages of this newer protocol. Some of the other advantages include improved real-time communication, more efficient data forwarding, and better allocation of network resources.