3.2 Programming Methodology and Distributed Systems

The Group of Programming Methodology and Distributed Systems studies the construction and analysis of distributed and embedded computing systems. New communication and computing technologies, like mobile networks, ATM and powerful server and terminal devices together with new network centric applications challenges the conventional knowledge of operating systems and computer networks. New ways to combine emerging hardware and software technologies are needed to construct scalable and highly available distributed object platforms for new telecom applications. Prototypes of platforms and applications are constructed and experimented. Object oriented programming, design and testing are applied and studied in this context. Also the methods of formal verification are experimented in practice.

3.2.1 COMA Servers

COMA Servers is one of the projects in the ATM initiative of TOTI (Telecommunications and Software Technology Institute) starting up with TEKES (Technology Development Center) financing. Additional project financing comes from Nokia Corporation and Telecom Finland. The project is lead by assoc. professor Heikki Saikkonen and senior research scientist Mikko Tiusanen.

The aim of the project is to combine

• the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) of OMG (Object Management Group) that is becoming a standard in distributed object-oriented programming,
• the pioneering Mach operating system of OSF (Open Software Foundation), and
• Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), the telecommunication network selected by ITU (International Telecommunication Union) to be the carrier of broadband ISDN, to a system executing software for fault-tolerant, distributed servers.

The immediate goal is to present a demonstration system, programmable using CORBA, utilizing Mach microkernel and ATM technology for efficiency and reliability. The main problem of the project will be integrating the parts mentioned into a sensible, operable and fault-tolerant system.