A Multicriteria Approach to Supersystem Architecture Definition

The concept of large-scale, distributed computing or supersystems is still relatively new and, as experience is gained in the actual design of such systems, it has become increasingly obvious that: 1) the planning and design of a "good" supersystem is inherently far more complex than in the case of conventional systems; and 2) the truly optimal design of such systems can proceed only when all the conflicting goals and design specifications are systematically considered.