Toward absolutely dependable, autonomic personal computing systems

各种各样的技术趋势正在结合起来，彻底改变人们以数字形式获取、组织和操纵信息的方式。这场革命的一个重要后果是，人们每天使用的计算平台的数量和种类急剧增加。例如，目前，典型的用户可能在许多不同的位置（例如，在工作中、在家里和在路上）使用多台台式和/或便携式计算机处理单个任务。在不久的将来，类似的交互将涉及更多样化的设备——电视机顶盒、游戏机、媒体播放器（如iPod）、数码相机、录像机和手机——每一个都具有巨大的数据存储容量和网络连接（如802.11、WiFi）。这种环境提出了相当大的数据管理、系统集成、安全性、可靠性和网络方面的挑战，目前的方法还没有充分解决这些问题。该研究计划将开发新颖的系统软件，以解决在这种环境中出现的各种问题。其目标是为用户提供一个单一、简单和绝对可靠的数据视图，无论数据存储在哪里或从哪个设备访问。要实现这一目标，需要解决操作系统和分布式系统研究的几个核心开放问题。例如，两个关键问题是，当前的系统太不可靠，需要太多的人力管理。这项研究计划将开发技术，以保护有价值的数据，如家庭照片，从硬件故障，软件漏洞和恶意攻击（例如，恶意软件，如病毒）。它还将构建自动配置、自调优、重新配置和恢复机制，无需人工干预。

A variety of technology trends are combining to revolutionize the way that people acquire, organize and manipulate information in digital form.   One important consequence of this revolution is a dramatic increase in the number and variety of computing platforms a person uses on a daily basis.  Currently, for example, a typical user might work on a single task using multiple desktop and/or portable computers in a number of different locations (e.g., at work, at home and on the road).  In the near future, similar interactions will involve an even greater diversity of devices --- television-set-top boxes, game consoles, media players (e.g., an iPod), digital cameras, video recorders and cell phones --- each enabled with massive data-storage capacity and network connectivity (e.g., 802.11, WiFi).  This environment presents considerable data-management, system integration, security, reliability and networking challenges that are not adequately addressed by current approaches.   This research program will develop novel system software to address a variety of issues that arise in this environment.  The goal is to present users with a single, simple and absolutely reliable view of their data, regardless of where it is stored or from which device it is accessed.  To achieve this goal requires tackling several open problems at the core of operating systems and distributed systems research.  For example, two key issues are that current systems are too unreliable and require too much human administration.  This research program will develop techniques that secure valuable data such as family photos from hardware failure, software bugs and malicious attack (e.g., maleware such as viruses).  It will also build mechanisms for automatic configuration, self tuning, re-configuration and recovery that require no human intervention.