A Framework for Component Management in Large Scale Distributed Systems

Researchers:	Stephen Neuendorffer and Yang Zhao
Advisor:	Edward A. Lee

Today we are viewing a rapid growth in the scale and complexity of distributed systems. Mechanisms for flexibly and automatically configuring, deploying and managing these systems can address this complexity. In this project, we take a modeling perspective and develop a framework for the design and analysis of such mechanisms.

In this framework, we consider each subsystem as a component with a lifecycle. We build models that specify not only the communication and interaction between existing components, but also reactions to significant events in the lifecycle of components. In response to these events, the lifecycle model may instantiate new components, reconnect them to other components, or even remove them from the model entirely. We anticipate that building lifecycle models will allow us to explore behaviors of distributed models that would otherwise be difficult to understand, and to ensure properties of the lifecycle of a distributed system as a whole, such as load balancing and fault recovery. By building these models we also hope to discover common patterns for managing component lifecycles that ensure these useful system properties.

Last updated 11/20/03