Configurable Middleware for Distributed Real-Time Systems with Aperiodic and Periodic Tasks

Different distributed real-time systems (DRS) must handle aperiodic and periodic events under diverse sets of requirements. While existing middleware such as Real-Time CORBA has shown promise as a platform for distributed systems with time constraints, it lacks flexible configuration mechanisms needed to manage end-to-end timing easily for a wide range of different DRS with both aperiodic and periodic events. The primary contribution of this work is the design, implementation, and performance evaluation of the first configurable component middleware services for admission control and load balancing of aperiodic and periodic event handling in DRS. Empirical results demonstrate the need for, and the effectiveness of, our configurable component middleware approach in supporting different applications with aperiodic and periodic events, and providing a flexible software platform for DRS with end-to-end timing constraints.