Computer Systems

Computer Systems:  Theory, Technology, and Applications

A Tribute to Roger Needham

Computer systems form the core of computing, as their combinations of hardware and software components function together to help program developers and end-users achieve goals of managing and accessing information in all its forms. Roger Needham, in a distinguished career at Cambridge University and Microsoft Research, was a pioneer of computer systems research and a noted innovator in the crucial area of system security.

Computer Systems: Theory, Technology, and Applications presents a comprehensive edited survey of all aspects of the subject, with original contributions by more than 40 international leaders in the field. The book assembles a collection of short articles showing the state-of-the-art in systems, from formal calculi to mobile devices, from operating systems to distributed computing and security—while also honoring Needham’s important contributions.

Among the topics addressed:

Access control, data integration, and their languages

Clumps, clusters, and classification

The economics of open systems

The Needham – Schroeder authentication protocol

Sentient computing

A technology transfer retrospective

Real time in a real operating system

Application-private networks

Technologies for portable computing

An authorization model for web services

Challenges for computing research

Protocol analysis, composability, and computation

This accessible monograph is an ideal overview of theoretical and empirical evolution in computer systems. It will serve as an invaluable resource for professionals, researchers, libraries, and students who are interestedin broadening their knowledge of the entire field.