🚀 go-pugleaf

ernest@suntan.tandem.com.AU (Ernest Hua) writes:
+---------------
| Apparently, this guy named Roger E. Billings claims that he invented the 
| File Server concept and patented it (4,714,989).  The patent was granted
| in December 1987 (applied for in February 1982).  He claims he did most 
| of his work during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
| 
| Is this guy for real?  How can the concept of a file server be patented?
+---------------

It could be patented, I suppose, but probably not by this guy. Read the
article "WFS: The Woodstock File Server" by somebody at Xerox. I think it
was in the late 70's. It was *published*, so a Feb '82 filing date would
be far too late.

Also, there had already been published articles in BSTJ (the famous "Unix"
issue, July/August 1978?) about diskless LSI-11's which used a PDP-11/45
as a file server.

Unless there is something specifically unique to his *implementation*,
his patent is worthless.


-Rob

-----
Rob Warnock, MS-9U/510		rpw3@sgi.com
Silicon Graphics, Inc.		(415)335-1673
2011 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, CA  94039-7311