Characterisation of TINA kernel transport network load using models of the service components, DPE implementation and network topology

The TINA architecture frees the service programmer from concerns about the location of software objects and the underlying network. The designed services impose a load on the distributed processing environment (DPE) and kernel transport network (kTN) that must be understood and controlled. Experience in intelligent networks supports this view. This paper presents two models that together bridge the conceptual separation between service provision and implementation, enabling load characterisation through simulation. The first model expresses traffic due to object interactions within a TINA environment. The second model presents a simplified representation of the TINA DPE and kTN, modelling TINA services running on an ORB in a distributed processing environment. The range of traffic and performance information made available in the simulator is reviewed.