Assessments of Selected Real-Time Computing Technologies
Abstract
Developing dependable software for large, complex, real-time systems is one of the major challenges now facing the software industry. The software R and D community is responding to this challenge; numerous efforts have been initiated on various aspects of real-time software development. In this paper, we review and evaluate ongoing R and D efforts in light of the needs of strategic defense systems. We identify and discuss four recent developments that hold promise for facilitating the design and implementation of real-time software for strategic defense systems: (1) rate monotonic scheduling theory, (2) real-time extensions to the IEEE Portable Operating System Interface for Computer Environments (POSIX), (3) several distributed real-time operating system prototypes, and (4) various methods for enhancing real-time system robustness by trading precision of results for timeliness of results. We also point out an area of major concern to real-time software developers and, in particular, to the SDIO: the lack of analytical methods for evaluating the performance of complex real-time systems. We conclude with a series of recommendations on how the SDIO should follow up on the real-time R and D topics covered in the paper.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA245434
Entities
People
- Karen D. Gordon
- Kevin J. Rappoport
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses