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Poster: Redundant Arrays of Independent Components

Student: Chang Liu

Advisor: Debra J. Richardson

Abstract: Component-based software development technologies have been advocated for years. Recent developments in the software industry are posing to make it as easy to develop a distributable software component as it is to code a traditional software module. An abundance of standard-binding inexpensive software components is about to emerge. It will soon be possible to use redundant software components to enhance application reliability or to improve system performance without doubling or tripling component costs. Component integration cost, however, remains high. Before average software developers can take advantage of the coming abundance of low-cost software components, component integration techniques must be improved so that the benefits of adopting redundant components outweigh component integration cost.

Redundant Arrays of Independent Components (RAIC) is a technology that uses groups of similar or identical distributed software components to provide reliable services to software applications. The RAIC architectural style is a special architectural style designed to take advantage of redundant independent components in a systematic way. RAIC controllers use the just-in-time component testing technique to check component status and detect component failures. Component state recovery techniques are used to bring replacement components or newly added components up-to-date.

The RAIC architectural style and the supporting technologies enable software developers to integrate redundant software components in an array with no or little coding. They can then use the array as a single component. Thus, by following the guidance of the RAIC architectural style, component integration cost can be lowered.

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