file:    tech_evals.list

date:    06/06/2001, 07/12/2001, 8/10/2001

author:  Bill Sahr

Subject: M&C Computing Systems & Software, Technology Evaluations
         & Selections


Externally Acquired Software (Other Sites, Purchased, Open Source)

- Green Bank GBT code
  - the GBT system for alarms
  - the GBT manager class
  - In general, the GBT code should be thoroughly explored by one or
    several individuals to see what may be of use to us.

- Other sites/projects 
  - ALMA
    - use case documents
    - requirements documents

- Development environment
  candidates: Sun Solaris, Linux, Windows NT/2000
  See Boyd's email of 6/21/2001 19:21 MDT.  He suggests Linux.  
  Does VxWorks support Linux as a host environment ?

- Documentation environment
  Probably Windows NT/Windows 2000 - MS Word, Adobe Acrobat, Viso, 
  Excell, Hummingbird Exceed, ? Rational Rose or Object Domain

- UML Modelling Tool
  candidates:  Rational Rose, Object Domain
  - ? Must it run under the development environment, the documentation
    environment, or both ?  If it includes round trip engineering, then
    it must run under the development environment. A 100% Java tool 
    would (should) run on any platform that supports Java.

- Source Code (Change) Management Packages
  candidates:  CVS is the most likely choice.  It's free and ALMA seems to
  be happy wtih it.  May investigate a few commercial packages.  The market 
  leaders are Rational's ClearCase LT (configuration management) and
  ClearQuest (change management).  An up & comer is Perforce.

  If CVS, do we want to investigate possible GUI front ends 
  (sourceforge.org) ?

  ? Kevin Ryan.  He plans to be looking at CVS for VLBA & the CMP code
  anyway.

- RTOS for real-time crates
  candidates:  VxWorks is the leading contender.  Some examination
  should also be made of OSE (Enea), LynxOS, and various flavors of 
  real-time Linux.  Need to investigate what versions of real-time 
  Linux are available.
  - Must be compatible with the chosen development environment and other
    software pacakgaes we wish to use.
  - The evaluation should be done by or include someone who is familiar
    with Vx Works.

- Middleware for distributed systems communication candidates:  
  - CORBA, 
  - NDDS (real-time publish subscribe system offered by RTI) 

- Real-Time Database(s)
  This would be a database(s) for the real-time work
   - to hold systems configuration information, perhaps 
   - to hold current (instantaneous)monitor data values (& some history).  
  This category does NOT refer to the data archive. 
  For real-time work, would want a memory resident database that can 
  assist us with the tasks of i) warnings & alarms, ii) data flagging,
  iii) logging, iv) on-going plots of current conditions, v) updates of 
  operator screens
  
  candidates:  Still need to research this one just to find out what is
  available.  One possible candidate is Polyhedra (www.polyhedra.com).
  Polyhedra was recently purchased by Enea, who also offers the OSE RTOS.

  Pat VanBuskirk 

- Programing Languages
  candidates:  C++ for real-time work, Java for GUIs/fat clients.  Various
  versions of real-time Java are beginning to appear.  RTJava in the
  context of JINI might be worth investigating

- Support Libraries

- GUI development tools

- Scripting Languages

- Bug reporting software

- Software tools to assist in testing (unit tests, regression tests)

- Small RTOS kernal &/or a library package to provide TCP/IP &
  UDP calls for M&C devices in the antennas. 


Hardware
- Processor(s) for real-time work

- Backplane for real-time work
  candidates: VMC, CPCI, PCI