P924

Deployment and configuration support for distributed PNO applications

closed

CORBA component model implementation

Various technological developments have formed the basis for the deployment and provision of services based on distributed object technology and middleware. The TINA (Telecommunications Information Networking Architecture) Consortium has developed an open architecture for distributed telecommunications and information services. TINA is based on ODP, Object Orientation, and Standards and Recommendations in telecommunications and distributed processing areas. TINA relies heavily on a Distributed Processing Environment for the transparent distribution of service components to service nodes.

Whereas many TINA viewpoints, such as the information and computational viewpoint have significant technological support, there is a clear lack of support in the Engineering Viewpoint. Methods, notations and tools are needed to "distribute" objects or software components from the Computational Viewpoint to the Engineering Viewpoint in an efficient, automatic way. Currently no such notation and tools are available. Since network operators are getting increasingly involved in areas such as service creation, such methods and support for the distribution of software components with a concrete distributed environment in view will be very valuable once such distributed object technologies are deployed.

Several testbed implementations and pilot Projects have shown that distributed software systems based on middleware are about to leave the labs. For example, P715 has developed the EURESCOM Services Platform (ESP), which provides an experimental environment for exploiting the advantages of middleware technology. The P715 experiment services have been deployed manually, as support for automated deployment is not available.

Experiences today show that software support is needed to manage software distribution in heterogeneous environments, with different middleware products, development tools and methods. This especially relates to an efficient combination of distribution and modularization, which can reduce the system development and deployment effort, the dependencies on software vendor's middleware products and enable shorter time to market. This software management will need to be handled by the network operators themselves in the future.

A faster generation of reliable software for new services significantly increases the potential for revenue for the PNOs. This Project will allow EURESCOM Shareholders to be at the leading edge of such innovative software technologies.

Objectives

The main objectives of this Project are to:

• Develop a methodology that bridges the gap between component specification and their actual configuration and distribution in terms of software components on middleware platforms.
• Define concepts and an appropriate notation, so that distribution and static and dynamic configuration aspects for distributed applications and supportive engineering capabilities of services platforms can be expressed.
• Apply the concepts and methods to existing middleware services platforms and specify and environment to validate them.

What are the key results of this Project?

• A notation for distribution that will be submitted for standardisation at ITU-T, OMG and other organisations. This notation should enable configuration information of distributed applications to be expressed.
• A methodology for distribution and configuration of distributed applications and systems particularly suited for use in the Telecommunications domain, including static and dynamic configuration services. Based on QoS constraints and performance analysis, special support will be provided for reconfiguration, migration, and replication of software components. The methodology will encompass mechanisms for the relocation of persistent data during runtime.
• Validation of the concepts with use of an existing middleware services platform.