Design of component-based real-time applications

• Published in: The Journal of systems and software 2013-02, Vol.86 (2), p.449-467
• Main Authors: López Martínez, Patricia, Barros, Laura, Drake, José M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Component-based applications; Design; Design engineering; Mathematical models; Messages; Methodology; Reactive model; Real time; Real-time systems; Schedulability; Software component; Software engineering; Software reusability; Specifications; Studies; Systems design; Time measurements; Weight reduction
• ISSN: 0164-1212; 1873-1228
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2012.09.036

► Methodology for the design of component-based applications with hard real-time requirements. ► Relying on a component technology that provides opaque management of scheduling. ► Scheduling configuration obtained from the analysis of the real-time model of the application. ► Model composition process to obtain the real-time model of a component-based application. ► Clear relation between the run-time mechanisms and the modelling entities. This paper presents the key aspects of a model-based methodology that is proposed for the design of component-based applications with hard real-time requirements. The methodology relies on RT-CCM (Real-time Container Component Model), a component technology aimed to make the timing behaviour of the applications predictable and inspired in the Lightweight CCM specification of the OMG. Some new mechanisms have been introduced in the underlying framework that make it possible to schedule the execution of code and the transmission of messages of an application while guaranteeing that the application will meet its timing requirements when executed. The added mechanisms also enable the application designer to configure this scheduling without interfering with the opacity typically required in component management. Moreover, the methodology includes a process for generating the real-time model of a component-based application as a composition of the reusable real-time models of the components that form it. From the analysis of this model the application designer obtains the configuration values that must be applied to the component instances and the elements of the framework in order to make the application fulfil its timing requirements.