Limited Interoperability Acheived for OpenSim and Second Life

In February, realXtend and OpenSim announced that they'd achieved portability for users wanting to take their avatars between different OpenSim worlds. Last week, OpenSim opened up even more, letting users take common logins, though not their avatars or inventories, from Second Life to OpenSim. Zha Ewry, working on the project from IBM's end, Tess Linden and Layla Linden were logged in to Linden Lab's Aditi test grid, but were able to jump, as the default Second Life "Ruth" avatar, to OpenSim.

Sure OpenSim is based on Second Life to begin with,  and it's just the most basic of  portability bringing the user to a new, default avatar, but, as Zha Ewery pointed out, "It’s a very nice first step."  [via Eightbar]

Comments

[Rip]

This is very exciting news.What this means is that soon all the grids now up and running under the opensim project platform will have this ability. Its been said that the opensim project now has a larger number of experiemental active sims than secondlife. It may well be time for Linden to think about open sourcing their grid code. Either that or get left behind.

[Shenlei Winkler]

@Rip: Maybe not. Linden Lab's source code presents issues for anyone serious about scalability, stability and other such enterprise-class considerations. Those issues aren't going to suddenly vanish whether or not LL chooses to open source their server code, or not. Being able to have access to a code base that takes into account all those boring humdrum considerations (scalability, interoperability, stability) in the first place is fairly important for anyone who wants a serious, enterprise-level installation. I have used Second Life to great effect for personal uses, but I wouldn't bet my retirement on anything substantive built on Linden Lab server code. It's still a great platform for training, education, and entertainment, and they have a great business model in maintaining a world from which everyone in a federated grid originates. The importance of having the grid that everyone wants to connect to cannot be overstated.

[Rip]

Shenli do you understand what this article really means?

Interoperability is the key concept here.

The Opensim project is not only a simulator code but it has the option of being a minigrid code package as well.

Imagine what a enterprise-level installation on a opensim minigrid with no linden interference would be like.

Then Imagine 1000s if not 10s of 1000s of opensim project minigrids accessed with one standard viewer.

Kinda sounds like a new world wide web doesnt it?

I agree scalability and stability are important iusses, but those will come in time, Interoperability is the most important issue now.

[Ai Austin]

Its good to hear of this progress... it could allow at some stage for us to use Second Life as an easily accessible public grid with Opensim (or maybe licenced Linden server code?) regions self-hosted and available in corporate or behind firewall configurations. I imagine an authenticated "swipe card" style of access for avatars... to go back and forth from the front public areas to the confifdential meeting rooms and corporate spaces.

[doug donovan]

this is the first step in the interoperating grid concept. we wont be able to go to virtual banks and doing our RL banking untill the banks can operate their own secure grids. grocery companies, hotel chains and automobile companies will want to operate their own grids. to operate a grid without LL intervention is the goal. i read a blog post by Philip Linden, saying that he sees Linden Labs role in the grid operation business as fading into the background, becoming more of a service provider, rather than a land/money provider, and having thousands of interoperating grids connecting to the second life grid, and / or not connecting. for any of this to happen, there must be scalability and interoperability. this will not work untill one can seamlessly travel between grids, taking with them their avatar, inventory and money with them. this is the most pressing matter of the moment. think of the potential for business, financial matters, education! we're witnessing a new world emerging.i see this as an event on the same level as the world wide web emerging. web 3.0?