High-Level Techniques for Distributed Telecommunications Software

ESPRC Research Project, GR/R 88137

Motivation

Distributed systems have become dramatically more significant with the advent of improved wired and wireless network technologies. There has been sustained academic interest in high-level techniques for constructing distributed systems, aiming to reduce development time and increase reliability. Collaborating with Motorola, we aim to evaluate the high-level techniques in a realistic distributed telecommunications context. The language platforms for our investigation are two distributed functional languages: Erlang is a simple language with proven telecommunications track record, GdH is a sophisticated research language that can be adapted by the research team.

The evaluation covers specific high-level techniques: high-level distributed coordination, sophisticated type systems, correctness, and non-strictness. Because these techniques abrogate control of low-level distribution issues we also investigate whether they can still deliver the required functionality, including such issues as soft real-time capabilities, fault-tolerance, and implementation scalability. Finally the project initiates the transfer of distributed functional language technology into the UK telecommunications sector.

Aims and Objectives

Objectives
To assess the costs and benefits of high-level distributed programming constructs for telecommunications software, and compare them with conventional technology. Driving factors are time to market and software quality, and the techniques we investigate are high level distributed coordination, ease of validation/verification, impact of sophisticated type systems and non-strictness.

To investigate whether high level programming paradigms can deliver telecommunications application functionality. Specific functionalities are foreign language interfaces, soft real-time capabilities, fault tolerance, resource reclamation, wireless LAN interfaces, implementation scalability and the scalability of the software development model.

To develop three medium-scale advanced telecommunications applications supplied by Motorola in two high-level functional languages: Erlang and GdH. The applications represent a range of telecommunications functionality and scale

Research Proposal

Publications

• Experiments with the Erlang Language for Distributed Telecommunication Applications,
  J.H. Nyström and P.W.Trinder, Heriot-Watt University, and D.J. King, Motorola,
  Motorola's 2003 Software, Systems, and Simulation Symposium (S3S), July 2003
• Evaluating Distributed Functional Languages for Telecommunications Software,
  J.H. Nyström and P.W.Trinder, Heriot-Watt University, and D.J. King, Motorola,
  ACM SIGPLAN Erlang Workshop 2003 (PostScript, PDF)
• Evaluating Erlang for Robust Telecoms Software,
  J.H. Nyström and P.W.Trinder, Heriot-Watt University, and D.J. King, Motorola,
  Motorola's 2004 Software, Systems, and Simulation Symposium (S3S), July 2004
• A Port of Erlang to the Grid
  M.B. Xu
  Msc. Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2004.
• Are High-level Languages suitable for Robust Telecoms Software?,
  J.H. Nyström and P.W.Trinder, Heriot-Watt University, and D.J. King, Motorola,
  The 24th International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability and Security (safeComp 2005), September 2005 (PostScript, PDF, LNCS 3688, Paper on Springer Online)
• Grid Enabled Erlang
  P. Das
  Msc. Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2005.
• High-level Distribution for the Rapid Production of Robust Telecoms Softw are: comparing C++ and Erlang
  J.H. Nystrom P.W.Trinder, D.J. King
  to appear in Concurrency & Computation: Practice and Experience, Kluwer

Presentations

• Evaluating Distributed Functional Languages for Telecommunications Software,
  J.H. Nyström, Heriot-Watt University,
  
  • ACM SIGPLAN Erlang Workshop 2003, August 29, 2003, Uppsala, Sweden
  • Fourth symposium on Trends in Functional Programming, September 11th-12th 2003, Edinburgh, Scotland
  (PostScript, PDF)
• High-Level Techniques for Distributed Telecommunications Software,
  J.H. Nyström, Heriot-Watt University,
  Poster presentation at the Heriot-Watt, MACS, Research Open Day, 12th November, 2003, Edinburgh, Scotland
  ( PowerPoint)
• Evaluating Erlang for Robust Telecoms Software,
  
  • David King, Motorola,
    Motorola's 2004 Software, Systems, and Simulation Symposium (S3S), July 2004
  • Phil Trinder, Heriot-Watt University,
    Fifth symposium on Trends in Functional Programming, November 25-26th 2004,
    Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
    ( PowerPoint)
• Are High-level Languages suitable for Robust Telecoms Software?,
  J.H. Nyström, Heriot-Watt University,
  The 24th International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability and Security (safeComp 2005), September 2005
  ( PowerPoint)

Grants

High-Level Technique for Distributed Telecommunications Software

The project aims to evaluate distributed functional programming techniques for realistic telecommunications applications.

ESPRC GR/R 88137

Functional Distributed Interactive Systems

The primary aim of the project is to study the suitability of distributed lazy functional langauges for constructing real applications with small-scale distribution.

ESPRC GR/M 55633

Evaluating Functional Distribution

Evaluating two non-strict distributed functional languages, namely Eden, and GdH. People: Rita Loogen, Kevin Hammond.

4-year British Council/DAAD funded travel grant (Project No. 1097), with partners at Phillips-Universitaet Marburg, and St Andrews University.

Performance Evaluation of Parallel Functional Programs for Multiprocessor Computer Systems

The project aims to evaluate the performance of the Eden and GpH parallel functional programming languages, and to construct frameworks for reasoning about them. People: Ricardo Pena, Yolanda Ortega-Mallen, Kevin Hammond.

4-year British Council/Acciones Integradas travel grant (Project No. MDR 8472).

People

Phil Trinder, Email:trinder@macs.hw.ac.uk, Senior Lecturer.

David King, Email:David.King@motorola.com, Senior Software Engineer, Motorola, Basingstoke.

Henry Nyström, Email:jann@macs.hw.ac.uk, Research Associate.

Robert Pointon, Email:rpointon@macs.hw.ac.uk, Research Associate.

Hans Wolfgang Loidl, Email:hwloidl@informatik.uni-muenchen.de, Research Associate, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.