Mark Zbikowski
Encyclopedia
Mark "Zibo" Joseph Zbikowski (born March 21, 1956) is a former Microsoft
Architect and an early computer hacker. He started working at the company only a few years after its inception, leading efforts in MS-DOS
, OS/2
, Cairo
and Windows NT
. In 2006 he was honored for 25 years of service with the company, the third employee to reach this milestone, after Bill Gates
and Steve Ballmer
. He is currently a technical adviser to several companies and a lecturer at the University of Washington
.
He was the designer of the DOS executable
file format
, used in MS-DOS executable files, and the headers of that file format start with his initials: the magic number
of this type of file is the ASCII
characters 'MZ' (0x4D, 0x5A).
, in 1956. While attending The Roeper School from 1961 to 1974, he developed an interest in mathematics and computers. His 8th-grade performance in the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition
led to an invitation in an NSF-funded summer program at Oakland University
where he became friends with Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Jeff Sachs.
Zbikowski pursued Computer Science at Harvard (A.B. 1978) and at Yale (S.M. 1979). He was active in both universities' Gilbert and Sullivan
performing groups.
as development lead and manager for Microsoft's MS-DOS 2.0, a position he held through DOS 4.0. His first major contributions were the addition of hierarchical directory structure to DOS 2.0 and installable device drivers. From March 1985 until 1991, he was on the architecture team for OS/2, development manager for file systems and device drivers, and technical advisor to Paul Maritz
. The breakthrough concept of Installable File System
in OS/2 is attributed to him.
Following the demise of the Microsoft/IBM
joint development agreement, he was an architect, development manager and key contributor to Cairo
, working for Jim Allchin and, later, Anthony Short. This led to Cairo's Object File System and content index efforts. In 1996, as Cairo migrated from being a standalone product to a technology source, Zbikowski worked under Lou Perazzoli on the Windows NT kernel, focusing on performance and size, before becoming architect and development manager for NT file system
s in 1998.
In 2001, Zbikowski was a candidate for director of the Harvard
Alumni Association.
Zbikowski retired from Microsoft in June 2006.
Mark Zbikowski is affiliated with the following companies:
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Architect and an early computer hacker. He started working at the company only a few years after its inception, leading efforts in MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, OS/2
OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
, Cairo
Cairo (operating system)
Cairo was the code name for a project at Microsoft from 1991 to 1996. Its charter was to build technologies for a next generation operating system that would fulfill Bill Gates' vision of "information at your fingertips." Cairo never shipped, although portions of its technologies have since...
and Windows NT
Windows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
. In 2006 he was honored for 25 years of service with the company, the third employee to reach this milestone, after Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
and Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer
Steven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer is an American business magnate. He is the chief executive officer of Microsoft, having held that post since January 2000. , his personal wealth is estimated at US$13.9 billion, ranking number 19 on the Forbes 400.-Early life:Ballmer was born in Detroit, Michigan to...
. He is currently a technical adviser to several companies and a lecturer at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.
He was the designer of the DOS executable
DOS executable
The DOS MZ executable format is the executable file format used for .EXE files in DOS.The file can be identified by the ASCII string "MZ" or the hexadecimal 4D 5A at the beginning of the file . "MZ" are the initials of Mark Zbikowski, one of the developers of MS-DOS...
file format
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
, used in MS-DOS executable files, and the headers of that file format start with his initials: the magic number
Magic number (programming)
In computer programming, the term magic number has multiple meanings. It could refer to one or more of the following:* A constant numerical or text value used to identify a file format or protocol; for files, see List of file signatures...
of this type of file is the ASCII
ASCII
The American Standard Code for Information Interchange is a character-encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers, communications equipment, and other devices that use text...
characters 'MZ' (0x4D, 0x5A).
Early years
Zbikowski was born in Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, in 1956. While attending The Roeper School from 1961 to 1974, he developed an interest in mathematics and computers. His 8th-grade performance in the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition
Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition
The Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition is an annual high school mathematics competition held in Michigan. First founded in 1958, the competition has grown to include over 10,000 high school participants...
led to an invitation in an NSF-funded summer program at Oakland University
Oakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
where he became friends with Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Jeff Sachs.
Zbikowski pursued Computer Science at Harvard (A.B. 1978) and at Yale (S.M. 1979). He was active in both universities' Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
performing groups.
Microsoft
Ballmer recruited Zbikowski, who joined Microsoft in 1981. In March 1982 he replaced Tim PatersonTim Paterson
Tim Paterson is an American computer programmer, best known as the original author of MS-DOS, the most widely used personal computer operating system in the 1980s....
as development lead and manager for Microsoft's MS-DOS 2.0, a position he held through DOS 4.0. His first major contributions were the addition of hierarchical directory structure to DOS 2.0 and installable device drivers. From March 1985 until 1991, he was on the architecture team for OS/2, development manager for file systems and device drivers, and technical advisor to Paul Maritz
Paul Maritz
Paul Maritz is CEO of VMware Corporation , and a past senior executive at Microsoft.Born and raised in Rhodesia , his family later moved to South Africa where he was schooled at Highbury Preparatory School and Hilton College. He received a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Natal,...
. The breakthrough concept of Installable File System
Installable File System
The Installable File System is a filesystem API in IBM OS/2 and Microsoft Windows that enables the operating system to recognize and load drivers for file systems...
in OS/2 is attributed to him.
Following the demise of the Microsoft/IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
joint development agreement, he was an architect, development manager and key contributor to Cairo
Cairo (operating system)
Cairo was the code name for a project at Microsoft from 1991 to 1996. Its charter was to build technologies for a next generation operating system that would fulfill Bill Gates' vision of "information at your fingertips." Cairo never shipped, although portions of its technologies have since...
, working for Jim Allchin and, later, Anthony Short. This led to Cairo's Object File System and content index efforts. In 1996, as Cairo migrated from being a standalone product to a technology source, Zbikowski worked under Lou Perazzoli on the Windows NT kernel, focusing on performance and size, before becoming architect and development manager for NT file system
File system
A file system is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the...
s in 1998.
In 2001, Zbikowski was a candidate for director of the Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Alumni Association.
Zbikowski retired from Microsoft in June 2006.
Mark Zbikowski is affiliated with the following companies:
- (January 2008) Parallels, Inc.Parallels, Inc.Parallels, Inc. is a privately held virtualization technology company with offices in the USA, Germany, UK, France, Japan, China, Russia and Ukraine. Parallels' US offices are in Renton, WA.The company has more than 700 employees as of 2010....
as Senior Technical Advisor. - (December 2007) SkytapSkytapSkytap, Inc., founded in 2006, is a cloud computing provider that provides virtual lab automation as a cloud service. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington...
as Technical Advisor. - (2007) InstallFreeInstallFreeInstallFree Inc. is a privately-held company, backed by Ignition Partners and Trilogy Equity Partners, with headquarters in Stamford, CT and offices located worldwide...
as Technical Advisor. - (October 2006) BlueDot / Faves as Technical Advisor and Investor.