Characterizing Group Communication Middleware for Real-time Distributed Systems

This paper presents our current work in characterizing the behavior of a real-time dependable distributed system, which must exhibit predictable behavior under load and in the presence of partial failures. We focus on measuring the end-to-end properties of the middleware implementing the real-time process group service, specifically its membership and message latency. The paper also describes the tools and techniques we have developed, along with some of the practical issues that arise in instrumenting a real-time distributed system. 1 Introduction A major focus of research at The Open Group Research Institute is the development of real-time dependable distributed systems. One of our goals is to provide our academic and industrial partners with configurable, reusable frameworks for research and further development. Target applications include factory automation, sensor monitoring and combat systems, which require predictable behavior, even in emergency conditions. Under this program,..