Implementation issues of a unified information model-based CACE integrated environment

The creation of an open CACE integrated environment presupposes the existence of standardised mechanisms which equip the environment with enough flexibility for incorporating as wide a range of tools as possible. This paper discusses the central mechanism for the exchange of information between various tools integrated in a prototype CACE environment based on the unified information model. Details of the data communication mechanism and how it has been implemented for a range of diverse tools are discussed. The impact to the user of the existence of this mechanism is considered, and its main merits, from an implementation point of view, are explained.