Loose integration of COTS tools for the development of real time distributed control systems

Abstract

The development of Real Time Distributed Control Systems (RTDCS) is a very complex and multi-part issue where different specific tools are to be used. As these specialized tools are not designed to work together, it would be desirable to have a flexible tool framework where all the information were managed and stored following a predefined Model Driven Architecture. XML technologies and Web Applications (implemented as a component-based multi-tier application design defined by J2EE) have been selected to put into practice such a framework. It is proposed a model-based approach to develop software systems that require the collaboration of specific tools. This collaboration is achieved thanks to a Tool Collaboration Engine based on XML and Web Applications. A prototype of the framework was built for RTDCS, yet these concepts can easily be applied to any area of knowledge. The paper presents some conclusions on the integration of COTS. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.