Automated Middleware QoS Configuration Techniques for Distributed Real-time and Embedded Systems

Quite often the modeling tools used in the development lifecycle of distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems are middleware-specific, where they elevate middleware artifacts, such as configuration options, to first class modeling entities. Unfortunately, this level of abstraction does not resolve the complex issues in middleware configuration process for QoS assurance. This paper describes GT-QMAP (graph transformation for QoS mapping) model-driven engineering toolchain that combines (1) domain-specific modeling, to simplify specifying the QoS requirements of DRE systems intuitively, and (2) model transformations, to automate the mapping of domain-specific QoS requirements to middleware-specific QoS configuration options. The paper evaluates the automation capabilities of GT-QMAP in the context of three DRE system case studies. The results indicate that on an average the modeling effort is reduced by over 75%. Further, the results also indicate that GT-QMAP provides significant benefits in terms of scalability and automation as DRE system QoS requirements evolve during its entire development lifecycle.