The Relevance of Network Computing Concepts in the Geophysical Workstation Environment

Graphics workstations, considered a novelty a few years ago, are now justifiably accepted as productive geophysical tools. This paper is aimed at highlighting the true significance of the workstation, particularly in the light of potential developments in the area of network computing. Emergent technology in this area will provide user-transparent facilities for high-speed distribution of both data and tasks across a heterogeneous network of workstations, mainframes and file servers. Such technology would facilitate the introduction of truly interactive processing, providing transparent access to diverse high-performance resources via the convenience of a workstation interface.