Using open source software, the US Navy was able to standardize the shipboard systems on its new destroyers, reducing the complexity of the ship’s systems and their reliance on proprietary real-time software. Wall Street now uses this same technology to execute orders predictably, without relying on vendor-specific hardware and software.
Every ship in the Navy is a floating data center. Computers run the ship, handle navigation, and track inventory. There are mail servers, databases, and everything else you would expect in a corporate data center. Unlike a corporation, though, the Navy also has weapons systems and radars. These systems are unique, since they must perform in a very predictable way: when you pull a trigger, you can’t wait for the computer to send an email. It has to happen right away. This determinism in a computer system is called “real-time” performance.
The Navy has already saved millions by moving to industry-standard computers and commercially available software. This real-time requirement flew in the face of this: the software is very expensive, and often very proprietary. Frequently, real-time systems require specialized hardware and specialized software, which was also expensive. These new systems also meant special training for the operators. So this meant two sets of infrastructure: one to regular applications, one to run the real-time applications. This was expensive and inefficient, especially since a Navy ship is so constrained by the lack of space. It would be much easier to have the regular computers handling the real-time work.
I'm the Chief Technology Strategist for the Red Hat US Public Sector group, an open source and free culture advocate, a picky drinker, an amateur aesthete, and a dog enthusiast.
