Google could be an operating system

[DR_K13]

Rumors are all abuzz that the search outfit Google is sitting down and writing its own operating system. The rumour started on http://www.scripting.com/ and is based on nothing other than the fact that the writer Dave Winer thinks it's odd that Google has hired Microsoft’s operating system architect, Mark Lucovsky. Winer reasons that they wouldn’t hire someone like that just to make the tea. Fair enough, if an OS is on the drawing board, chances are it would be based on something Vole has already done anyway, thus Lucovsky’s skills would be required. But then what would Google want with an OS? Alternatively Lucovsky could just make very good tea, which is an asset in any organization. One of Microsoft's key Windows architects has defected to Google. But at least so far, no one is talking about what Marc Lucovsky's new role will be at one of Microsoft's major rivals. A 16-year Microsoft veteran, Lucovsky was one of a handful of "Distinguished Engineers" at Microsoft. He is credited as one of the core dozen engineers that came from Digital Equipment Corp. to Microsoft and built the Windows NT operating system. He was charged with building the Windows NT executive, kernel, Win32 run-time and other key elements of the operating system. NT was the precursor to Windows Server. In 2000, Lucovsky was named the chief software architect for Microsoft's .Net My Services.




SOURCE

 

[zandor]

I bet he's working on their search engine or something related to it.
While search engines and operating systems don't have many obvious similarities to laymen, to a programmer there is a very significant one. Both require very careful, low level design and optimization, particularly in cases where performance is as critical as it is for Google. Considering the amount of hardware required to handle the number of searches performed on google.com and the speed with which results are returned, the amount of hardware required must be massive.
Also, it wouldn't be at all unreasonable for Google to write an OS for internal use. Basically they could implement a very low overhead OS just for search engine nodes. Windows, Linux, BSD, Solaris, AIX, etc. all have a ton of features that would just slow down a dedicated search engine machine.

 

[t_andrews]

Also, it wouldn't be at all unreasonable for Google to write an OS for internal use. Basically they could implement a very low overhead OS just for search engine nodes. Windows, Linux, BSD, Solaris, AIX, etc. all have a ton of features that would just slow down a dedicated search engine machine.

Google has their own in house file system used for storing, organizing, and searching the tons of pages they keep. I think that a consumer OS like windows, linux, X, etc. would be less likely although I would not put it past them in the long run, even with the talk about Google's web browser.

 

[rcolbert]

The problem with a true in-house OS for search and match engines is that they'd be slow to adopt new hardware over time. If they go that way, I'd assume they were really looking to build a lean and mean variant of a Linux kernel that they could move forward with. In fact, I don't know much about their technology, so they might already have that and simply had the opportunity to bring in high-level talent to further optomize and develop what they've already got.