Showing papers by "Jeff Kramer published in 1989"
TL;DR: The Conic environment provides a language-based approach to the building of distributed systems which combines the simplicity and safety of a language approach with the flexibility and accessibility of an operating systems approach.
Abstract: The Conic environment provides a language-based approach to the building of distributed systems which combines the simplicity and safety of a language approach with the flexibility and accessibility of an operating systems approach. It provides a comprehensive set of tools for program compilation, configuration, debugging, and execution in a distributed environment. A separate configuration language is used to specify the configuration of software components into logical nodes. This provides a concise configuration description and facilitates the reuse of program components in different configurations. Applications are constructed as sets of one or more interconnected logical nodes. Arbitrary, incremental change is supported by dynamic configuration. In addition, the system provides user-transparent datatype transformation between heterogeneous processors. Applications may be run on a mixed set of interconnected computers running the Unix operating system and on base target machines with no resident operating system. The basic principles adopted in the construction of the Conic environment are outlined and the configuration and run-time facilities provided are described. >
342 citations
TL;DR: The structural description, construction, and evolution of software systems using the Conic graphs environment are discussed and configuration programming concepts embodied in conic are described and illustrated by the example of a patient monitoring system.
Abstract: The structural description, construction, and evolution of software systems using the Conic graphs environment are discussed. The configuration programming concepts embodied in conic are described and illustrated by the example of a patient monitoring system. The characteristics of the ConicDraw graphic workstation are examined. Browsing and animation extensions are described. >
67 citations
01 Sep 1989
TL;DR: A central thread in this work the -concept of "ViewPoint"- is examined, motivated and systematically characterised, and the implications for methods to support the construction of formal specifications are considered.
Abstract: This paper outlines progress on: developing methods to support requirements formalisation; incremental development of formal specifications; tool support for requirements expression; modelling requirements elicitation A central thread in this work the -concept of "ViewPoint"- is examined, motivated and systematically characterised The implications for methods to support the construction of formal specifications are considered A framework for further work is outlined
43 citations
01 Apr 1989
TL;DR: The main principles of this approach to configuration programming are discussed and its practice is illustrated by describing the support which has been provided in the Conic environment for distributed systems.
Abstract: Software systems can be conveniently described, constructed and managed in terms of their configuration, where configuration is the system structure defined as the set of constituent software components together with their interconnections. A specification of the system configuration can be used both to describe the required system structure and to generate the actual system itself. The performance of these tasks at the configuration level is termed configuration programming, and is best supported by the use of a declarative configuration language and associated support tools. This paper discusses the main principles of this approach and illustrates its practice by describing the support which has been provided in the Conic environment for distributed systems. These concepts are illustrated by using a simple example: a patient monitoring system (PMS).
9 citations
03 Jan 1989
TL;DR: A graphical system that integrates the textual and graphical information required for configuration programming called Conic is described, which provides stand-alone editing and online configuration monitoring and management tools.
Abstract: Most systems and programs are constructed and managed in terms of their software configuration, that is, the set of constituent software components together with their control and communication interconnections. A graphical system that integrates the textual and graphical information required for configuration programming called Conic is described. It provides stand-alone editing and online configuration monitoring and management tools. The issues raised by graphical configuration programming and management are discussed. The graphical workstation, Conicdraw, is described. Examples and experience using the approach in the Conic environment for distribution and concurrent systems are presented. >
7 citations
TL;DR: A model for managing evolution is presented which permits the formulation of general structural rules for change without the need to consider application state, and the specification of application actions without knowledge of the actual structural changes which may be introduced.
Abstract: Distributed computer systems offer the potential for growth and change. Although the underlying support mechanisms for change (software creation, binding, deletion) are well understood, there has been no consensus on how evolutionary change can be managed and controlled. This paper suggests that, since distributed systems are specified and constructed in terms of their software structure (configuration), it is appropriate that changes should be specified in terms of structure and managed at the configuration level. We present a model for managing evolution which separates structural concerns at the configuration level from those application concerns at the component level. This permits the formulation of general structural rules for change without the need to consider application state, and the specification of application actions without knowledge of the actual structural changes which may be introduced. To illustrate the approach and discuss pragmatic aspects, the model is applied to an example problem which has been implemented and tested in the Conic environment for distributed systems.
2 citations