So it sounds as if a VRML or "cyberspace"(?) server could potentially
be built around a database engine capable of handling conncurrent access,
efficient 3D object manipulation and storage, and incorporation of other
complex data such as texture maps and sounds. Using concepts from existing
database technology as mentioned previously seems to be a must for anyone
developing such a server.
This thread of discussion could digress into possible server architectures
and potential solutions - a topic which I would be fascinated with from a
database technology standpoint.
So, let me ramble a little about a vision.....
A virtual world or scene could be served by any number of physical servers.
With a distributed model, individual objects could be transparently fetched from
different servers by the browser depending on what is currently visible.
Connections or subscriptions for those objects could be maintained to each
of the servers while the objects continue to be visible so dynamic changes
can be made.
In this case, as the database server updates objects, the results are sent
out and routed to the subscribers. This could potentially be a distributed,
cascading subscription list so the server send to just a few nodes on the
network which could be other servers, each have subscribers, which each
also have subcribers - so propagating the changes throughout the net with
minimal load on the net connection of the server.
We now have a distributed object model where servers can advertise that they
maintain a particular object which can be inserted into a scene or world.
This is similar to how Netscape Netsite servers can map a URL at another
Netsite server... or a distributed version of OLE....
A browser need not know that the object it is retrieving is physically
stored and maintained in the place the browser gets the object from. It
doesnt care! As long as the dynamic changes are propagated to it through
_any_ path it is happy.
If the browser is also a server, each user in the virtual world could
maintain their own virtual representation and broadcast it to any scene
where they are active.
oh well..
Just an idea.
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Sean Riley Phone:(510) 869-6372
Illustra Information Technologies Email: [email protected]
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"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand", Homer Simspon