Linux is a growing focus of exhibitors and presenters alike — and, no doubt, the attendees — at the upcoming Applied Computing Conference & Expo (formerly the PC Developers Conference) to be held May 22-25 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA. The event is a combo tradeshow and technical conference devoted to what Intel calls the “applied computing” market.

What's applied computing?

According to Intel's developer website, “Applied computing refers to market segments that consist of connected, high-performance systems designed for dedicated application that enhance business information systems through the Internet or Intranet. These applications apply mainstream computing technologies in computers that are dedicated to specific functions.”

What this translates to is Intel's new strategy to suppliment the company's desktop business with chip and board sales into high-end applications in markets where both performance and connectivity are key requirements. Thus, a key applied computing target market is the convergence of voice and data over IP-based corporate networks. Other areas targeted include transaction terminals (both POS and kiosk style), industrial process control, portable data collection devices, and the rapidly emerging market of information appliances.

Linux talks at the Applied Computing Conference

The following Linux schedule provides a detailed overview of the Linux topics that will be covered at the Applied Computing Conference:

• Embedded Linux — Challenges and Solutions (Session #421); Jim Ready and Bill Weinberg, Monta Vista Software; Thursday May 25 8:30am – 9:30am — For the first time in the history of applied computing, developers have a mainstream technology to leverage in their designs — the Linux kernel and operating system. However broadly applicable Linux may be, with its wealth of device drivers, system services, and application software, significant challenges exist to its deployment in embedded contexts. This article/session will detail the obstacles faced by the embedded Linux developer, including kernel scaling, ROMability and RAM footprint, real-time performance, board and chip support, slim GUIs, and high availability, and will present practical strategies for successful deployment of Linux-based embedded designs

• Java and Linux on IA (Session #422) — Jeannette Wilson, Intel; Randy Rorden, NewMonics — Thursday May 25 9:45am – 10:45am — A deterministic Java Virtual Machine (JVM) running in a Linux environment on an Intel Architecture system can offer compelling benefits for some Applied Computing OEMs in the areas of portability, reliability, and rapid development. This course will outline those benefits (and tradeoffs), and a demonstration will show how the JVM can be configured to accommodate a broad range of function, footprint, and application performance needs.

• Selective Reduction of Linux for Embedded Devices (Session #426) — Tim Bird, Lineo — Thursday May 25 4:15pm – 5:15pm — Linux is establishing a strong presence in the embedded market. This presentation covers how to selectively reduce the size of open source components to fit in embedded devices. This presentation is intended for the developer with some Linux experience. The process introduced includes, but is not limited to: Reconfiguring the kernel and libc with additional compilation options for reduced binary sizes; Stripping the standard C library of unnecessary functionality; Eliminating unnecessary files from open source packages; Techniques for finding and breaking dependencies in programs and libraries; Removing unneeded symbols and modules from common libraries (including glibc); Increasing the configurability of open source packages; Replacing desktop programs with embedded versions; Replacing program suites with single multi-function programs.

• High Availability Linux (Session #445) — Brian Ramsey, Lynx Real-Time Systems — Thursday May 25 3:00pm – 4:00pm — For 'carrier-grade' High Availability Linux must take corrective steps, such as fault management, system reconfiguration error handling and software reinitialization, automatically without operator intervention. High Availability Linux fault management software implements a event cycle which describes and controls the actions necessary to perform dynamic reconfiguration of the system to eliminate errors caused by faults and includes at least the following actions: fault detection, diagnosis, isolation, recovery, and fault repair. High availability refers to maximizing the availability of systems and applications by decreasing down time during both routine maintenance operations and unplanned system failures (HW/SW). While not guaranteeing 100% uptime, HA systems provide a substantial RAS advantage over conventional computer systems.

The Applied Computing Conference, sponsored by Annabooks events, offers a broad range of tutorial topics including Compact PCI, Embedded Internet, Linux, IEEE 1394, InfiniBand, PCI-X, USB, Windows CE, and Windows NT Embedded. Coverage of advanced architectures has also been expanded and will be covered extensively in tutorials, technical sessions, and keynote speeches. A complete detailed technical program is available online.

 
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