Thinking of doing IPC over the long haul?

Think again. The laws of physics say you’re hosed.

Jonathan M. Smith, University of Pennsylvania

Over the past several years, SaaS (software as a service) has become an attractive option for companies looking to save money and simplify their computing infrastructures. SaaS is an interesting group of techniques for moving computing from the desktop to the cloud; however, as it grows in popularity, engineers should be aware of some of the fundamental limitations they face when developing these kinds of distributed applications—in particular, the finite speed of light.