Toward a simulation benchmark for distributed mission-critical real-time systems

Given the overall increasing trend of airspace demand by commercial, military, and general aviation, researchers are developing new software tools to enhance the level of automation in air traffic control systems to alleviate the already-crowded airspace by allowing controllers and pilots more freedom in planning and conducting flights. These tools utilize high-performance commercial workstations that use high-speed networks and function together to form a distributed real-time computing system. This paper describes a three-dimensional air traffic control simulation benchmark developed by the author for the purpose of running simulations of air traffic scenarios, adding new capabilities, and gauging performance, security, and reliability quality of service management techniques on a variety of platforms.