Gerald J. Popek
{{Short description|American computer scientist (1946–2008)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| birth_name = Gerald John Popek
| birth_date = {{birth date|1946|9|22}}
| birth_place = Passaic, New Jersey, US
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|7|20|1946|9|22}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, US
| fields = Computer scientist
| workplaces = UCLA
Locus Computing Corporation
United Online
| alma_mater = New York University
Harvard University
| known_for = Popek and Goldberg virtualization requirements
}}
Gerald John "Jerry" Popek (September 22, 1946 – July 20, 2008) was an American computer scientist, known for his research on operating systems and virtualization.
With Robert P. Goldberg he proposed the Popek and Goldberg virtualization requirements,{{cite book
| author = Popek, Gerald J.
| year = 1973
| chapter = Formal requirements for virtualizable third generation architectures
| pages = 121
| doi = 10.1145/800009.808061
| last2 = Goldberg
| first2 = Robert P.
| title = Proceedings of the fourth symposium on Operating system principles - SOSP '73
| s2cid = 12680060
}} a set of conditions necessary for a computer architecture to support system virtualization.
Early life and education
Born on September 22, 1946, in Passaic, New Jersey,[http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/papers/%5BRobins,%201987%5D%20The%20UCLA%20Computer%20Science%20Department%20Quarterly,%20Vol%2016,%20No%201.pdf The UCLA Computer Science Department Quarterly], University of California, Los Angeles, Fall 1987 / Winter 1988, Vol. 16 No. 1. Accessed October 29, 2017. "Dr. Popek was born in Passaic, New Jersey and received the B.S. in Nuclear Engineering with honors from New York University in 1968." Popek graduated from Rutherford High School in Rutherford, New Jersey in 1964, where he was the class valedictorian.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} He graduated from New York University in 1968 with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering.{{cite web
|url=http://www.lasr.cs.ucla.edu/lasr-members/popek/index.html
|title=Popek's page at the UCLA Laboratory for Advanced Systems Research
|accessdate=2008-09-23
}} In 1970, he completed an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University. In 1973, he completed a Ph.D, also in Applied Mathematics, at Harvard and moved to UCLA. At UCLA, he worked on virtualisation, network security, reliable operating systems and Databases. He became Director of the Center for Experimental Computer Science.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}
Academic career
Around 1980, he worked on the LOCUS distributed operating system,{{cite journal |author=Popek, G. |year=1981 |title=LOCUS a network transparent, high reliability distributed system |journal=ACM SIGOPS Operating Systems Review |volume=15 |pages=169 |doi=10.1145/1067627.806605 |last2=Walker |first2=B. |last3=Chow |first3=J. |last4=Edwards |first4=D. |last5=Kline |first5=C. |last6=Rudisin |first6=G. |last7=Thiel |first7=G. |issue=5}} an early implementation of the single-system image idea.
Between April 1981 and June 1983, Popek served on the DARPA "steering committee" for BSD UNIX formed by Duane Adams of DARPA to guide the design work leading to 4.2BSD. Other members of the committee were Bob Fabry, Bill Joy and Sam Leffler from UCB, Alan Nemeth and Rob Gurwitz from BBN, Dennis Ritchie from Bell Labs, Keith Lantz from Stanford, Rick Rashid from Carnegie-Mellon, Bert Halstead from MIT and Dan Lynch from ISI.{{cite web
|url=http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2000/03/17/bsd.html?page=2
|title=20 Years of Berkeley Unix: From AT&T-Owned to Freely Redistributable - DARPA Support|accessdate=2008-09-23
|publisher=O'Reilly
}}
Business career
In order to pursue the commercial opportunities of LOCUS he formed the Locus Computing Corporation in 1982, taking on the roles of Chief technical officer and Chairman.{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4804/is_198911/ai_n17443977
|title=Locus Computing Corp. (company profile)
|accessdate=2008-09-23
| year=1989
| work=EDN
}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot}} In 1995, Locus was acquired by Platinum Technology Inc. in a share swap.{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_17195055
|title=PLATINUM technology And Locus Computing Finalize Acquisition; Locus Computing officially becomes a PLATINUM technology subsidiary
| date=1995-08-17
| work=Business Wire
}} Popek took on the role of CTO of Platinum. In 1999, he left Platinum to become CTO of CarsDirect.com, "the first Internet car company"{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_Sept_8/ai_55682064
|title=CarsDirect.com Names Internet Pioneer New Chief Technology Officer; Gerald Popek Joins from Platinum Technology to Lead Technology Team at First Internet Car Company
|accessdate=2008-09-24
| year=1999
| work=Business Wire
}} In 2000, he left CarsDirect.com to join NetZero also as CTO{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_Oct_23/ai_66267200
|title=NetZero Names Internet Pioneer Gerald Popek New Chief Technology Officer; Former CarsDirect.com Executive To Lead Technology Team for Leading Free ISP
|accessdate=2008-09-24
| date=2000-10-23
| work=Business Wire
}} In 2001, NetZero merged with its competitor Juno to form United Online Inc.{{cite web
|url=http://news.cnet.com/NetZero,-Juno-to-unite-in-merger/2100-1033_3-268057.html
|title=NetZero, Juno to unite in merger
|accessdate=2008-09-24
}} and Dr Popek became Executive Vice President and CTO of the new company.{{cite web
|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=549593
|title=EXECUTIVE PROFILE Gerald J. Popek Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, United Online Inc.
}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
Awards
In June 2009, he was posthumously awarded the 2009 USENIX Lifetime Achievement Award.{{cite web
|url= https://www.usenix.org/about/awards/flame |title= Flame Award
|website= usenix.org
|date= 6 December 2011
|accessdate= 2016-05-30 }}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://engineering.ucla.edu/in-memoriam-gerald-j-popek/ In Memoriam: Gerald J. Popek]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Popek, Gerald J.}}
Category:American computer businesspeople
Category:American computer scientists
Category:Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni
Category:Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences alumni
Category:University of California, Los Angeles faculty
Category:American chief technology officers
Category:People from Passaic, New Jersey