PODC 2000 Invited Talk


Monday, July 17, 2000
8:35 - 9:35

Data Communications vs. Distributed Computing
Craig Partridge
BBN Technologies

From my perspective, one of the more distressing aspects of the past fifteen years is the evolution of data communications and distributed computing into distinct and somewhat disconnected disciplines.  It is getting to the point where researchers in each discipline often don't really understand what is going on in the other discipline, even though the two disciplines are logically tightly linked to one another.

In this talk I'll explore why I think the disconnection occurred (I'll argue it was due to Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt), why I think it matters (we are each consumers of each other's work), and what (if anything) we can do to increase communications (no pun intended!) between the two disciplines.

While this may sound like the typical old fuddy-duddy talk, I'm going to give it a very technical spin.  I will focus on key technical breakthroughs in data communications and distributed computing and examine how they have either not been communicated or have insufficiently communicated to the other field.  My hope is that you'll feel you learned something by listening to me, even if you disagree with the thesis of my talk.


Link:  PowerPoint version of Dr. Partridge's presentation


Biographical Sketch

Craig Partridge is the Chief Scientist for Internetworking at BBN Technologies, where he has worked since 1983.  During his years at BBN, he has been involved in a wide range of Internet activities.  His first job at BBN was working on experimental TCP/IP support for Navy shipboard command centers.  He then worked on developing commercial TCP/IP networks as a member of the technical staff for the Computer Science Network (CSNET), the first Internet ISP, and the technical director for the NSF Network Service Center.  More recently, Craig's research has focused on high-speed communications and programmable network infrastructure.

Craig is an IEEE Fellow and the chair of ACM SIGCOMM.  He is the past editor-in-chief of both IEEE Network Magazine and ACM Computer Communication Review.  He received his A.B., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University.


This page maintained by Gil Neiger.

Last modified: July 24, 2000