Management for open distributed processing

The Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP) defines a framework for the development of Open Distributed Processing (ODP) systems in terms of five viewpoints. Each viewpoint language defines concepts and rules for specifying ODP systems from the corresponding viewpoint. However, the ODP viewpoint languages are abstract and do not show how these should be represented. We treat in this paper the need for formal notation for behavioural concepts in the enterprise language. Using the Unified Modeling Language and Object Constraints Language UML/OCL, we define a formal semantics for a fragment of ODP behaviour concepts defined in the RM-ODP foundations part and in the enterprise language. We mainly focus on time, action, behaviour constraints, and policies. These concepts are suitable for describing and constraining the behaviour of the ODP enterprise viewpoint specifications.

Supporting fault-tolerant and open distributed processing using RPC

Interoperability between autonomous decentralized systems needs support of an information service that can provide dynamic knowledge about available service providers within the network. We describe trading service. Trading is an essential infrastructure function indicated by the ODP (open distributed processing) reference model, a meta model of heterogeneous distributed processing. The purpose of trading is to support location transparency of services: it hides the location of service providers, even if they are located in separate, autonomous domains. Cooperation between trading service providers (trader) supports federation transparency, i.e. hides differences of technology used in separate domains. In cooperation, the traders have to mediate service type differences, negotiate policy differences and tolerate technology differences between domains. Together with other fundamental functions trading offers a platform for open distributed computing between autonomous subsystems.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The open distributed processing (ODP) computational viewpoint describes the functionality of a system and its environment in terms of a configuration of objects interacting at interfaces, independently of their distribution. Quality of service (QoS) contracts and service level agreements are an integral part of any computational specification, which are specified in ODP in terms of environment contracts. Up until unified modeling language (UML) version 2, both the lack of precision in the UML definition and the semantic gap between the ODP concepts and the UML constructs hindered its application for ODP computational viewpoint modeling. With the advent of UML 2 the situation has changed, because its semantics have been more precisely defined and it now incorporates a whole new set of concepts more apt for modeling the structure and behavior of distributed systems. In this paper, we explore the benefits provided by the new extension mechanisms of UML for modeling the ODP computational specifications and, in particular, we show how ODP environment contracts can be modeled with this approach.

Distributed systems has been an area of intense activity over the past ten years. The subject is entering a stage of maturity with work now focusing on standards for open distributed processing (ODP). Recently, however, a number of new challenges have emerged for distributed systems. Among these challenges, distributed systems are increasingly having to support multimedia services, and this has raised a number of issues for distributed systems designers. One of the most important issues in this area is that of synchronization. Multimedia applications require sophisticated support for synchronization both to coordinate multimedia presentations and to maintain timing relationships between a number of real-time data transmissions. Current distributed system architectures do not support such services. The paper discusses the problem of incorporating support for synchronization in open distributed system architectures. It is argued that support must be provided for synchronization both in the invocation mechanism and in the form of new services called streams and synchronization managers. The proposals are compared to related work in the field.

The Internet of Things Architecture (IoT-A) approach of using viewpoints for the Reference Model and Architectures is consistent with most standard approaches for architecture — although there is little agreement on the specific viewpoints. OGC typically uses the viewpoints of RM-ODP (ISO/IEC, Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing) for many reasons including: RM-ODP is an international standard, and the five viewpoints defined by RM-ODP are manageable versus approaches using a larger number of viewpoints. Distributed systems can be very large and complex and the many different considerations which influence their design can result in a substantial body of specification, which needs a structuring framework if it is to be managed successfully. The purpose of the RM-IoT is to define such a approch. The Reference Model for IoT (RM-IoT) provides a framework within which support of distribution, inter-working and portability can be integrated. It defines: an Internet object model, architectural concepts and architecture for the development of IoT systems in terms of five viewpoints. However, RM-IoT is a meta-model. Indeed, the viewpoint languages are abstract in sense that they define what concepts should be supported and not how these concepts should be represented using the UML meta-modeling approach. In this paper, we report on the definition and address of the syntax and semantics for a fragment of IoT object concepts defined in the RM-IoTfoundations part and in the information language.

Manufacturing management information systems are increasingly complex, with low integration and difficult decision making. The system DEMOS, presented here, deals with the processes of decision support, at different levels of the enterprise. The system specification makes use of ODP (open distributed processing) concepts, so that truly open distributed processing can be guaranteed. >

A specification architecture for multimedia systems in Open Distributed Processing

The characteristics of the systems demanded the specification of the architecture to be based in a framework for distributed systems. The framework adopted, based in on the RM-ODP (reference model for open distributed processing) standard and on the RASDS (reference architecture for space data systems) initiative, was customized in order to follow the current service oriented architecture (SOA) technological trend. This framework has been applied to the ground systems software with the support of an UML modelling tool. In this process, four viewpoints were used to describe the reference architecture. The model created provides various advantages in new system developments. It enables a better interoperability and completeness of the systems being designed and developed and also greatly benefits the systems' maintainability namely the modularity, changeability and portability. Future developments and enhancements to this architecture include namely the specification of interfaces of key components, which enforces the compliance of new products with the reference architecture. The architecture is bringing direct benefits to harmonization process, especially by allowing true interoperability between European space segment initiatives

Recent developments in high-speed networks and highperformance workstations have led to the emergence of a new class of applications termed distributed multimedia applications. However, the range of distributed systems architectures currently being proposed to support open systems integration were largely conceived prior to these developments. Initial work directed towards the introduction of multimedia in environments compatible with ISO's Open Distributed Processing (ODP) standard has suggested that significant developments to the underlying architecture are required. These developments are now being reflected in new versions of the ODP standard. However, OSF's Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), currently emerging as a de-facto standard for distributed processing, does not fully address the requirements of multimedia computing. This paper reports on the impact that multimedia has had on the ODP community and examines how the community's experiences can be used as a basis for incorporating multimedia in DCE.KeywordsMultimedia ApplicationRemote Procedure CallDistribute Computing EnvironmentContinuous InterfaceBinding InformationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

As the complexity of open distributed systems grows, the need to rely on concepts and notations for expressing and structuring their specifications becomes essential. However, having concepts and notations is not enough. The large size and complexity of the set of models that constitute the system specifications also forces the need to have tools for properly creating, handling, validating and maintaining these large models. This paper presents xODP, a tool for the model-based specification of open distributed systems according to the Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP) standards. Using the UML4ODP notation, it provides edition and validation facilities for ODP viewpoint models and for the correspondences between them, as well as early prototyping and execution of the ODP computational models.

Shared care concepts such as managed care or disease management require extended communication and co-operation between all parties directly or indirectly involved in the patient’s care. The informational view on the shared patient is established by a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) which has to be communicable, interoperable, and portable. Due to the lifetime of such an EHR, the underlying architecture must be open, flexible, and future proof. Because of the sensitivity of personal medical information, EHR and its communication have to be established and performed trustworthy. The solution consists of components reflecting constraint models according to the ISO Reference Model — Open Distributed Processing by inheritance and overriding mechanisms. The paper presents the latest technology introduced for meeting the challenges mentioned. Architectural principles and security solutions introduced are issues of ongoing standardisation efforts the author participates into.

The foundation of any network management systems is a database that contains information about the network resources relevant to the management tasks. A network information model is an abstraction of network resources, including both managed resources and managing resources. In the SNMP-based management framework, management information is defined almost exclusively from a "device" viewpoint, namely, managing a network is equivalent to managing a collection of individual nodes. Aiming at, making use of recent advances in distributed computing and in object-oriented analysis and design, the Internet management architecture can also be based on the Open Distributed Processing Reference Model (RM-ODP). The purpose of this article is to provide an Internet Network Resource Information Model. First, a layered management information architecture will be discussed. Then the Internet network resource information model is presented. The information model is specified using Object-Z.

In the network management area, management information models are based on a center of managed objects to denote the abstract of network resource. Internet management standards only tell how to access management variables. Aiming at making use of recent advances in distributed computing and in object oriented analysis and design, an Internet management architecture can also be based on the Open Distributed Processing Reference Model (RM-ODP). The purpose of the article is to provide an Internet object oriented information model. First, a layered management information architecture is discussed. Subsequent sections of the article present the generic object oriented information model. The information model is specified using Object-Z.

Viewpoint consistency in ODP