Real-Time and Multi-Agent Systems

This book is a translation ofthe accomplishment ofthe French engineer Ammar Attoui, who has set out to bring together the works of computer scientists and automotive engineers. Computer scientists have worked on the same type of systems as automotive engineers, but have used different designs, methods and tools. The former call the resultant systems "real-time systems", and the latter call them "discontinuous event systems". Today, telecommunications systems of increasing performance, and increasingly powerful multi-task operating and real time systems offer the possibilities of the development of distributed structure applications organized in a group ofasynchronous entities which communicate by the exchange of messages and events. Hence, combining the cultures ofcomputer science and automotive engineering is essential to gain the benefits of unifying their techniques and methods in order to realize this potential. The absence of the global state in distributed systems, which is a result of the absence of a shared memory and unique repository, makes communication via messaging the sole means which can be used under any circumstances. Agents are conceptual communicating entities. The book presents the methods and tech niques which are necessary for the concrete implementation ofthe idea ofan agent as an autonomous and reactive computing entity. Multi-agent systems are com posed ofa set ofspecialized entities communicating on behalfofa global applica tion.

A good introduction/practitioner's guide to distributed programming Contains lots of complete examples

Contenu

1. Problems Encountered with Distributed Systems.- 1.1 Definition of a Distributed Multi-Agent Application.- 1.2 Development of Remote Processing Systems.- 1.3 Architecture of Remote Processing Systems.- 1.4 Distributed Applications.- 1.5 Distributed System Properties.- 1.6 Activity Management in a Distributed Context.- 1.7 Process Synchronization and Resource Management.- 1.8 Validation Protocols for Global Applications.- 1.9 Fault Tolerance, Security and Protection.- 1.10 Conclusion.- 2. Interaction Models.- 2.1 New Generation Distributed Software Architecture.- 2.2 Event-Oriented Concurrent and Distributed Programming.- 2.3 Massively Parallel Processors and Distributed Programming.- 2.4 Basic Principles of Distributed Programming.- 2.5 The Method of Analysis for a Multi-Agent Application.- 2.6 Communication Channels.- 2.7 Elements of a High-Level Distributed Programming Language.- 2.8 Anonymous Communication.- 2.9 Hoare Monitors: High-Level Synchronization and Communication Tools for Parallel Machines with a Global Memory.- 2.10 The Corba Norm.- 2.11 Conclusion.- 3. PVM: Parallel Programming Tools.- 3.1 PVM Presented.- 3.2 PVM Installation.- 3.3 The User Interface or PVM Primitives.- 4. Distributed Programming under Unix.- 4.1 Unix and the Client-Server Model.- 4.2 Unix Tools for Distributed Data-Processing.- 4.3 IP Interfaces.- 4.4 TCP and UDP Data Transmission Protocols.- 4.5 Unix Tools for Distributed Programming.- 4.6 Sockets.- 4.7 Conclusion.- 5. Principles of Real-Time Data-Processing.- 5.1 Structure and Function of an Automated System.- 5.2 Combinatorial Automated Systems.- 5.3 Sequential Automated Systems.- 5.4 The GRAFCET: Synthesis Tool for Industrial Automated Systems.- 5.5 Technological Options for the Implementation of the Command Part.- 5.6 Digital Control Systems for Processes.- 5.7 The Need for an Adapted Specification Methodology.- 5.8 Process Dynamics.- 5.9 Periodic and Aperiodic Tasks.- 5.10 Basic Functions of Real-Time Kernels.- 5.11 Local Industrial Networks.- 5.12 The Development Environment of VxWorks Real-Time Applications.- 5.13 The Environment of a Multi-Agent Real-Time Application.- 5.14 Tools for the Development and Co-verification of Embedded Systems.- 5.15 CORBA Telecommunications.- 6. Prolog III and Real-Time System Engineering.- 6.1 Impact of Formal Specifications on Software Development.- 6.2 Reminder of Discrete Event Systems.- 6.3 Prolog III and the Study of Simple Real-Time Systems.- 6.4 Specification Methodology of Complex MSS Systems.- 6.5 Conclusion.- 6.6 Project 1: Modelling Distributed Systems.- 7. Parallel Image Processing.- 7.1 Presentation.- 7.2 Implementation.- 8. Client-Server Applications under Unix.- 8.1 Presentation.- 8.2 Implementation.- 8.3 Mini Project 1: An Event Management System.- 8.4 Mini Project 2: A VxWorks Version of the Temporal Constraint Manager.- 8.5 The Sources of the Temporal Constraint Management System.- 9. Control of a Product Processing Chain.- 9.1 Functioning.- 9.2 Analysis and Specification using the SA/RT (SA/SD) Method.- 9.3 Design and Implementation of the Command Part.- 10. Management of Persistent Objects.- 10.1 Presentation.- 10.2 The Object Manager (OM).- Appendix 1: Problems with Hardware-Software Layer Coupling in a Data-Processing System.- A1.1 The Target Machine.- Appendix 2: Basic Principles of Peripheral Handlers.- A2.1 Presentation.- A2.2 General Notes on Programming.- A2.3 Communication between the Kernel and the Handler.- A2.4 Installation Procedure of a New Handler under Unix.- Appendix 3: Process Management.- A3.1 Introduction.-A3.2 Scheduler Implementation Principle.- A3.3 The Scheduler and the Internal Synchronization of Handlers.- Appendix 4: Management of the Central Memory.- A4.1 The Part Supported by Hardware.- A4.2 The Paging Mechanism.- A4.3 The Segmentation Mechanism.- A4.4 Characteristics of Segment Systems.- A4.5 386 Selectors.- A4.6 Segment Descriptors.- A4.7 The Part Supported by the Kernel.- Appendix 5: Introduction to Prolog III.- A5.1 Functioning of a Logic Program.- A5.2 Prolog III.- A5.3 Accepted Expressions.- A5.4 Conclusion.- Bibligraphy.