Speaker

Doug Schmidt
Vanderbilt University

Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt is a Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on patterns, optimization techniques, and empirical analyses of object-oriented frameworks that facilitate the development of distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) middleware running over high-speed networks and embedded system interconnects. In addition to his academic research, Dr. Schmidt has over fifteen years of experience developing DRE middleware, such as ACE and TAO, which are widely used open-source object-oriented middleware frameworks that contain a rich set of components that implement patterns for high-performance DRE systems.

Presentation: "A Pattern Language for Message-oriented Networked Architectures"

CANCELLED Tuesday 14:00 - 14:45, Public Room

The knowledge required to develop complex message-oriented networked software has historically existed in programming folklore, the heads of experienced developers, or buried deep in the code. These locations are not ideal since the effort required to capture and evolve this knowledge is expensive, time-consuming, and error-prone. Many popular software modeling methods and tools address certain aspects of these problems by documenting how a system is designed. However, they only automate limited portions of software development and do not articulate why a system is designed in a particular way, which complicates subsequent software reuse and evolution.

Pattern languages (along with frameworks and middleware) are increasingly popular techniques for addressing key aspects of the challenges outlined above. Pattern languages codify reusable design expertise that provides time-proven solutions to commonly occurring software problems that arise when developing message-oriented networked software. Frameworks provide both a reusable product-line architecture -- guided by patterns -- for a family of related applications and an integrated set of collaborating components that implement concrete realizations of the architecture. Middleware is reusable software that leverages patterns and frameworks to bridge the gap between the functional requirements of applications and the underlying operating systems, network protocol stacks, and databases. This talk presents an overview of pattern languages, frameworks, and middleware, describes how these technologies complement each other to enhance reuse and productivity, and then illustrates how they have been applied successfully in practice to improve the reusability and quality of complex networked software systems.