A System for Specifying and Coordinating the Execution of Reliable Distributed Aplications

Abstract

This paper describes the design and implementation of a co-ordination language (scripting language) and the supporting execution environment for expressing the run-time composition of distributed applications and their dependencies. The system supports interoperability as it has been designed and implemented as a set of CORBA services. Dynamic control is made possible because the execution environment is built using a transactional workflow management system where sets of inter-related tasks can be carried out and supervised in a dependable manner. The paper describes how relevant ideas from the fields of workflow management and software architectures can be combined to provide an advanced application construction and execution environment, using distributed objects and middleware technologies.