An operating system (OS) is a computer program that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer. The definition has evolved over the years to become a platform for all kinds of computing activities. This is what Second Life, the virtual community claims to be in the future.
We all know that the claim of “New Kind of OS” is not going to be in the same form as the OS we use today. It is more about managing Internet users’ activities than controlling hardware resources. It is a platform for human interaction rather than for software collaboration. In other words, it is one level higher than what we currently see as operating system.
Second Life has been around for three and a half years. It has more than 3 million users who create avatars of themselves and move about the virtual world, chatting with others, buying land, building homes and businesses. Recently, Sweden announced to set up virtual embassy in Second Life to spread information about the Scandinavian country and attract more young visitors.
Are these enough to justify businesses to have a presence in Second Life?
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by over 1.5 million residents. It is digital community where members interact, buy and sell goods, and build property worth real money. 250 of the in-world currency the Linden dollar can be converted to one US dollar at online currency exchanges, LindeX.
Recently, the virtual world began to face nasty troubles - crimes inside and outside the virtual world. The BBC reported that it had to close its doors for a short time on Sunday (19 Nov) after a worm attack called grey goo. The worm is presented as a golden ring inside the virtual world that replicates by user interaction slowing down the game servers.
The troubles do not stop here. A program that is designed to quickly copy characters, objects and buildings are eroding the value of people’s virtual property. A growing numbers of mafias and gangs in the virtual world are also seriously disrupting the law and order in the virtual world.
What is Desktop Virtualization and how is it different from Server Virtualization like Solaris Zone? Essentially the technology behind them is identical. The difference is in the problem it addresses.
Server Virtualization takes control of a sprawling number of servers that were sucking power and becoming tough to cool. It also addresses some aspect of security and manageability. However, the ultimate goal is about saving money and consolidation.
Traditionally tool like VMware Workstation is only useful for development and testing. Increasingly, enterprise customers are starting to look at slicing and dicing desktop CPUs, just as they are doing with server CPUs, to isolate and secure workloads on single physical systems. This approach to desktop virtualization goes beyond the more common practice, in which applications and workloads are hosted at a remote location for centralized management and remote access.