GIT-CERCS-05-09
Yuan Chen, Karsten Schwan, David Rosen,
Java Mirrors: Building Blocks for Interacting with High Performance
Applications
Mirror objects are the key building blocks in the virtual `workbenches'
and `portals' for scientific and engineering applications constructed by
our group. This paper uses mirror objects in the implementation of the
RTTB design workbench, which controls components of the RTTB rapid tooling
and prototyping testbed. Mirror objects continuously mirror
the states of remote software or even hardware entities, and the operations
performed on mirrors are automatically propagated to these entities.
Thus, end users perceive mirrors as virtualizations of remote entities.
This paper presents the concept of mirror objects, their JMOSS Java-based
implementation, the interoperation of JMOSS Java mirrors with the CORBA-based
MOSS mirror object implementation, demonstrations of mirror functionality
and utility with a virtual `design workbench' used by engineers
for rapid tooling and prototyping processes, and performance evaluations
of mirror objects. We also present initial evaluations of JMOSS mirrors in
mobile environments, where workbench users can continue their PC-based online
interactions via handheld devices carried to the shopfloor.