Distributed Computer-Controlled Systems: the DEAR-COTS approach

Abstract This paper proposes a new architecture targeting real-time and reliable Distributed Computer-Controlled Systems (DCCS). This architecture provides a structured approach for the integration of soft and/or hard real-time applications with Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components. The Timely Computing Base model is used as the reference model to deal with the heterogeneity of system components with respect to guaranteeing the timeliness of applications. The reliability and availability requirements of hard real-time applications are guaranteed by a software-based fault-tolerance approach.

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