Building self-reconfiguring distributed systems using compensating reconfiguration

Building self-reconfiguring distributed systems requires a compensating reconfiguration component that detects conditions which dictate reconfiguration. The compensating reconfiguration code must then determine the appropriate reconfiguration response to the condition and execute it. To perform these functions, the compensating reconfiguration component must be able to draw on the current system configuration, program the state and mapping between the two. Using a high-level language to build compensating reconfiguration components is laborious and complex, and does not specifically support prototyping the reconfiguration policy. Bullpen is a tool developed to support the creation of compensating reconfiguration components for the distributed virtual environment (DVE) domain. Using Bullpen results in less effort and simpler code; therefore it supports prototyping better. It does not excessively restrict expressiveness nor impose a significant performance penalty.