Reconfigurable and Extensible Parallel and Distributed Systems

REX - 2080

Keywords dynamic reconfiguration, reconfigurable systems development, distributed systems

Start Date: 01-MAY-89 / Duration: 36 months

[ contact / participants ]

Objectives and Approach

The aim of REX was to facilitate the development and management of parallel and distributed systems. A methodology and a set of integrated support tools are required for this, which it was the objective of the project to develop.

The strategy followed is to retain formal specification as the main point for checking system consistency, predicting timing behaviour and assisting in system modifications.

The project is developing:

• a methodology for constructing reconfigurable and extensible distributed and parallel systems
• tools to support all phases of the distributed application development and maintenance
• techniques to change running systems and to achieve reliable configuration
• tools to advise users on how to obtain better performance, based on the separation of the host development and a target operating system.

The main work areas of REX are:

• specification of distributed and parallel systems
• system programming
• methodology for system development
• analysis and evaluation
• dynamic configuration and reconfiguration
• run-time support
• demonstrator applications.

Real-world applications will be used for proving the feasibility and usability of the REX methodology and its associated tools in industrial practice. Two test-bed demonstrator applications, from industrial automation and telecommunications systems, have been developed in the early phases of the project.

Exploitation

Stollmann incorporates the results from the demonstrators in applications in COM and telecommunications, and in a Unix-based package for software development.

2i exploits the integrated REX tool-set as part of a computer-aided software engineering environment product.

Siemens and Intracom anticipate that the REX development environment for distributed systems will be an important toolset for the development of future telecommunications systems.

CONTACT POINT

Mr Dirk Dettmann
STOLLMANN GMBH
Hohes Gestade 11
D - 7440 NURTINGEN
tel: + 49/ 7022-700940
fax: + 49/ 7022-36114

Participants

STOLLMANN GMBH - D - C
GMD - D - P
2I INDUSTRIAL INFORMATICS GMBH - D - P
INTRACOM SA - GR - P
GSI TECSI SOFTWARE SA - F - P
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN - D - P
SIEMENS AG - D - P
RPK DER UNIVERSITAT KARLSRUHE - D - P
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY & MEDICINE - UK - P
INTRASOFT SA - GR - A
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD - UK - A

REX - 2080, December 1993

please address enquiries to the ESPRIT Information Desk

html version of synopsis by Nick Cook