Software Implementation and Experimentation
We coherently define the above components as communication service components in the layered network architecture, and implement them as software layers on a real-time OS, MK 7.3, with the CORDS communication subsystem (developed by the Open Group Research Institute). We are currently implementing most of the components outside the OS kernel (except for the runtime message scheduler which will be implemented as a thin layer on top of devise drivers inside the kernel). This eliminates the need to access/change the internals of OS, allows us to concentrate on varying the degree of design complexity, and facilitates later enhancement or expansion. With such an experimentation, we can study the interplay among different components, and the performance that results from the careful coordination of all components.
Taking full advantage of the base operating system with the QoS service extensions, we will then identify and develop a set of large-grained middleware services (building blocks) with precise specifications and well-defined user-friendly interfaces. The figure shown above illustrates the various software layers in the suite of middleware services from the user prospective. Each layer exports a well-defined interface to other services or to applications that are built on top of it and supports standard protocols. Related services are grouped together to illustrate functional dependencies among them.
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