Design and implementation of an adaptable software environment

In any major software project, a large volume of project-related information must be maintained and manipulated throughout the software life-cycle. Often this information is scattered, in different media ranging from scraps of papers to program listings, poorly cross-referenced, and inaccessible. TRIAD, an adaptable, integrated software development environment, has been designed to integrate and manage all this information in an organized and structured manner.

The TRIAD tool-box environment supports different methodologies to guide the users during development and maintenance of project related information. The environment can be customized by selecting a set of forms which enforce a particular methodology. These forms help develop, integrate, and maintain project information. Forms for a methodology can be tuned to reflect a project-team's experience. When customized by the tuned methodology, TRIAD can provide better project oriented support.

TRIAD uses grammar forms as its organizational model. This paper will discuss the advantages of using grammar forms in the modeling and implementation of an adaptable software information editor, within the TRIAD tool-box environment.     

Self-reconfigurable software architecture: Design and implementation

To respond quickly to the rapidly changing manufacturing environment, it is imperative for the system to have such capabilities as flexibility, adaptability, and reusability. The fractal manufacturing system (FrMS) is a new manufacturing paradigm designed to meet these requirements. To facilitate a dynamic reconfiguration of system elements (i.e., fractals), agents as well as software modules should be self-reconfigurable. Embodiment of a self-reconfigurable manufacturing system can be achieved by using self-reconfigurable software architecture. In this paper, therefore, self-reconfigurable software architecture is designed by conducting the following studies: (1) analysis of functional requirements of a fractal and environmental constraints, (2) design of reconfigurable software architecture especially for a reconfigurable agent, (3) selection of proper techniques to implement software modules, and realization of software architecture equipped with self-reconfigurability. To validate this approach, the designed architecture is applied to the FrMS.     

基于分布式中间件的电力监控系统设计与实现

基于对象的分布式计算技术是当今计算机软件开发的所采用的一种重要技术.与传统开发技术相比,分布式对象技术具有更好的开放性和扩展性.基于对象的中间件是分布式对象技术的良好应用.结合能量管理系统的需要,在分布式对象互操作思想的基础上,对电力监控系统中所采用的分布式中间件技术进行了设计与分析,对电力监控系统中的中间件技术的组织模式、系统流程及实现模式进行了设计,应用cORBA中间件技术对其进行了实现,并在某智能配电自动化有限公司得到了相应的应用.     

Agent-based framework for integrated facility engineering

An agent-based framework for the development of integrated facility engineering environments in support of collaborative design is introduced. This framework aims at integrating design software by allowing better software interoperability. Within their framework, design agents represent various existing design and planning systems that communicate their design information and knowledge partially and incrementally using the Agent Communication Language (ACL). ACL is a formal language proposed as a communication standard for disparate software. It is based on a logic-based language called Knowledge Interchange Format (KIF) and a message protocol called Knowledge Query Manipulation Language (KQML). Design agents are linked and their communication of design information is coordinated via system programs called facilitators in a federation architecture. The federation architecture specifies the way design agents and facilitators communicate in an integrated software environment. In concert with pursuing fundamental research concepts, we have been developing an integrated design software environment that spans different phases of the facility life cycle. This environment serves to demonstrate the primary aspects of this research methodology. In this paper, we first discuss the integration problem and review related research projects. We then present the major aspects of agent-based software engineering methodology and its application to integrated facility engineering. A highlight of the current integrated design environment development is given to illustrate the advantages of this approach. Finally, we summarize and discuss some of the important research issues in light of previous research.     

From integration to composition: On the impact of software product lines, global development and ecosystems

Three trends accelerate the increase in complexity of large-scale software development, i.e. software product lines, global development and software ecosystems. For the case study companies we studied, these trends caused several problems, which are organized around architecture, process and organization, and the problems are related to the efficiency and effectiveness of software development as these companies used too integration-centric approaches. We present five approaches to software development, organized from integration-centric to composition-oriented and describe the areas of applicability.     

HEDRA: Heterogeneous Distributed Real-Time Architecture

HEDRA, ESPRIT project (nr. 6768), aims to develop a heterogeneous distributed real-time architecture for robot and machine control. This paper describes an open and flexible programming system, as a part of this architecture, that is based on an existing system called VIRTUOSO. The programming system is an evolution of Virtuoso towards the aimed architecture. The work concentrates on the achievement of guaranteed real-time behavior, minimum interrupt latency and transparency of interprocessor data communication.     

The design and implementation of a distributed image understanding system

Computer vision is concerned with extracting information about a scene by analyzing images of that scene. Performing any computer vision task requires an enormous amount of computation. Exploiting parallelism appears to be a promising way to improve the performance of computer vision systems. Past work in this area has focused on applying parallel processing techniques to image-operator level parallelism. In this article, we discuss the parallelism of computer vision in the control level and present a distributed image understanding system (DIUS).In DIUS, control-level parallelism is exploited by a dynamic scheduler. Furthermore, two levels of rules are used in the control mechanism. Meta-rules are concerned mainly with which strategy should be driven and the execution sequence of the system; control rules determine which task needs to be done next. A prototype system has been implemented within a parallel programming environment, Strand, which provides various virtual architectures mapping to either a shared-memory machine, Sequent, or to the Sun network.     

Learning to learn: From smart machines to intelligent machines

Since its birth, more than five decades ago, one of the biggest challenges of artificial intelligence remained the building of intelligent machines. Despite amazing advancements, we are still far from having machines that reach human intelligence level. The current paper tries to offer a possible explanation of this situation. For this purpose, we make a review of different learning strategies and context types that are involved in the learning process. We also present the results of a study on cognitive development applied to the problem of face recognition for social robotics.     

通用的分布对象服务访问框架的设计与实现

本文分析了分布对象系统的开放特性,以及由此而产生的分布式应用中服务对象的访问与管理问题;介绍了分布对象管理结构OMA和CorbaScript脚本语言。在此基础之上,详述了如何采用CorbaScript,基于OMA结构实现一个通用的分布对象服务访问框架。     

Monetary pricing of software development risks: A method and empirical illustration

The ability to price (monetize) software development risks can benefit various aspects of software development decision-making. This paper presents a risk pricing method that estimates two parameters for every individual risk factor: extra cost incurred per unit exposure, and project sensitivity, to that factor. Since variability is a widely used measure of risk in finance and decision sciences, the method derives risk pricing parameters by relating variability in risk factors to variability in project cost. This approach rests on the fact that a parametric cost estimator predicts project cost by adjusting the “nominal” cost of a project based on the expected values of risk factors (cost drivers), but the actual project cost often deviates from prediction because the actual values of risk factors normally deviate from expectations. In addition, to illustrate the viability of the method, the paper applies the method empirically with COCOMO data, to approximate risk pricing parameters for four risk factors (Personnel Capability, Process Maturity, Technology Platform, and Application Task). Importantly, though, the method could work equally well with data recorded based on other parametric cost estimators. The paper also discusses several areas that can benefit from benchmark risk pricing parameters of the kind we obtain.     

Using database machines in embedded computer systems

A discussion whether or not present database machine technology addresses the needs of embedded computer systems is presented. The interface between the embedded system and its environment tends to be complex, asynchronous, highly parallel and sometimes distributed. In addition, embedded systems are likely to have stringent resource requirements, both physical and logical. An answer to both the complexity issue and the resource limitation can be potentially found in the database machine.Functions are identified for two applications that the embedded system in general and the database machine specifically are asked to perform. Given the requirements of such applications the current database machine technology is evaluated.Finally, given the primary requirements of data security and system throughput of tactical embedded computer systems, a database machine using distributed architecture is proposed. The system has the potential for connecting multiple database machines to each host or for connecting multiple hosts to one database machine.     

Myriad: Design and implementation of a federated database prototype

A key problem in providing ‘enterprise-wide’ information is the integration of databases that have been independently developed. An important requirement is to accommodate heterogeneity and maintain the autonomy of component databases. Myriad is a federated database prototype developed at the University of Minnesota, to provide a testbed for investigating alternatives in architecture and algorithms for database integration, query processing and optimization, and concurrency control and recovery. The system incorporates our group's research results in these areas. This paper describes our experiences in the design and implementation of Myriad, and in the project management. Special emphasis is given to discussing design alternatives and their impact on Myriad. This paper also presents the software engineering principles and the project management techniques we used in developing Myriad and the lessons we learned. We believe these lessons would be useful for practitioners who wish to develop a similar system. Handling heterogeneity and autonomy were prime objectives throughout the prototyping effort. We are convinced that a prototype federated database is an important infrastructural requirement for the overall goal of ‘enterprise-integration’, and believe Myriad to be a significant contribution towards this.     

异构分布对象系统集成模型研究

分布对象计算技术为用户提供了方便的分布应用开发工具。然而,随着分布对象计算技术的应用和发展,异构分布对象系统的集成也正在成为急需解决的问题。用户对异构分布对象系统的集成有各种各样的需求,因此提供异构分布对象系统集成的工具也多种多样。文中将现有的异构分布对象系统的集成工具归纳为四种集成模型,并在对它们进行比较的基础上结合应用需求讨论了各种集成模型的适用场合。     

基于CORBA的异构分布信息系统

面向对象方法在分布系统中的使用，形成了一种构造分布信息系统的新方法，即分布对象管理方法。ＣＯＲＢＡ是对象管理组（ＯＭＧ）应这个方法的出现而提出的一个关切分布对象管理系统体系结构的标准，并已成为一个事实上的工业标准，本文在简要地介绍了分布对象管理系统的概念和ＣＯＲＢＡ后，着重讨论了构造基于ＣＯＲＢＡＲ 异构信息系统的一般步骤及应考虑的一些总理２。     

Software processes, assessment and ISO 9000-certification: A user's view

The Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf and its IT-Department are involved in the development of critical computer systems and in standardization in this field for many years (SAFECOMP '89, '90, '91, '93, IEC SC 65A WG9 and WG10, IEC TC 56, partners in the European initiative ESPITI and the networks ENCRESS and OLOS). The certification process for ISO 9001 started with a pre-audit in December 1993, and the certificate was successfully achieved at the end of June 1994. ISO 9000–3 (somehow more process-related than ISO 9001) and the ESA Software Engineering Standards (lifecycle model, process models) were the key input to the Quality Management (QM) System of the IT-Department. Additionally, the Department of Information Technology has successfully applied for a BOOTSTRAP license early in 1994. Four members of the staff of the IT department are qualified as external BOOTSTRAP assessors at the moment. In preparation for ISO 9000-certification and during BOOTSTRAP-training we learnt much about organizations, process improvement and project management, especially by reviewing our own processes critically as well as reviewing the impact and relevance of the schemes to follow when ISO 9000 certification or BOOTSTRAP licensing is the goal to achieve. Direct as well as indirect business benefits were achieved.     

Slack allocation algorithm for parallel machines

Energy consumption is a critical issue in parallel and distributed embedded systems. We present a novel algorithm for energy efficient scheduling of Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) based applications on Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS) enabled systems. Experimental results show that our algorithm provides near optimal solutions for energy minimization with considerably smaller computational time and memory requirements compared to an existing algorithm that provides near optimal solutions.