Open Distributed Computing Environments (ODCE)

The rapid advances in data communication networks have greatly increased the possibilities to make use of the various computational and information services available within reach of a computer network. These services may have different origins, they are implemented on different types of computational platforms, they can be located on sites far apart, and they can be administered independently. As different services become reachable, interoperability of services must be considered. Distributed computation needs an enhanced functionality of the infrastructure, including the emerging technologies.

The research of the ODCE group contributes to open architecture models, such as the Open Distributed Processing reference model (RM-ODP) standardised by ISO and ITU, and open platforms, such as OMG CORBA. The research is also in close relationship with telecommunication related architectures, like TINA.

The department started research activity in the area of open distributed processing at the end of 1980's. In our first project (AHTO) we designed a distributed software environment (middleware) offering for a user a homogeneous interface to the computing services available in a heterogeneous computer network. Since that time the department has participated in the development of the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing, under the auspices of ISO and ITU-T (former CCITT).

The DRYAD project, 1992-1996, concentrated on heterogeneous environments where autonomously administered systems federate with each other. Federation problems arise from the asynchrony of member system evolution, and from the independent technology choices at member systems (hardware, operating system, middleware, languages, applications). The federation solutions are built on meta-information services, like trading services (global and dynamic repository of service providers), and type repository services (dynamic repository of service types, federation contract schemata, and mappings to local technology solutions). The DRYAD project developed a prototype software package for some of the middleware services - especially for the trading function.

The CORBA-FORTE project (CORBA-Based Framework for Telecommunications) is starting in 1998. The project will concentrate on CORBA technology. It will seek general patterns for improving CORBA system performance. Prospects for improved quality of service and performance are found on two areas. First, additional services can be implemented into the platform itself. Second, applications can exploit the platform services more efficiently when tailored object design patterns are used.

The members of the ODCE group are Prof. Martti Tienari, Dr. Timo Alanko, Ph.Lic. Lea Kutvonen, Chief Systems Analyst Petri Kutvonen, M.Sc. Pekka Kähkipuro and M.Sc. Liisa Marttinen.

Publications: [25-37].

Home Page: http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/research/ODCE/