Collaborative distributed network system: a lightweight middleware supporting collaborative DEVS modeling

The present and future of our world, in part, depends on the effective appl ication of problem solving techniques and tools that are able to bring toge ther expertise from many disciplines, e.g. problems such as how world wide distribution of commodities are inherently multidisciplinary in mature. A s uch they demand collaborative computer-based tools that enable subject matt er experts to work cooperatively while overcoming the constraints of space and time. The realization of collaborative tools can benefit greatly by rel ying on "out-of-the-box" higher level network interconnectivity software. I n this paper, we discuss the collaborative distributed network model (CDNM) . Based on this model, a lightweight middleware called collaborative distri buted network system (CDNS) is implemented using Java technologies. We disc uss CDNM's architecture and the services it can provide to modeling and sim ulation applications built on its foundation. Furthermore, we discuss Colla borative DEVS Modeler, a collaborative modeling environment, where disperse d clients interact with one another using the services offered by the CDNS. The explicit architectural design of CDNM will facilitate its future migra tion into emerging middleware standards such as High Level Architecture (HL A) and CORBA. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.