Software Adaptability

One of the characteristics of NetKernel solutions that is hard to point to directly is adaptability - the tolerance and acceptance of change.

From the discussion about loose typing and loose coupling, it is clear that the URI address models provides provides a great deal of flexibility. The consequences of this are that the relationship between code is very malleable - changes to one side of a client-server relationship often do not break the other.

Since the URI address space abstracts the physical linking between resources, NetKernel systems are very robust - physical implementations can be modified, moved, or even the underlying technology replaced with no effect on logical services or the consumers of that service.

The nature of the URI address spaces and their natural partitioning means that new functionality can be introduced to legacy systems without affecting existing consumers. It is perfectly reasonable to allow old systems to coexist with updated systems. We take this property for granted in World Wide Web applications and now it is also available for general software.

These qualities of tolerance, flexibility, and adaptability mean that with NetKernel change is inexpensive. It is inexpensive to create new systems and it is inexpensive to change them.