The application of TINA in Multimedia services for the electronic super highway
Marten J. Van Sinderen, Luís Ferreira Pires · University of Twente Research Information · 1998
This paper discusses the application of TINA concepts, architectures and related design paradigms in interactive multimedia services. TINA adopts object-oriented modelling and design techniques in order to improve interoperability, re-use of specifications and software, and flexible placement of software on computing platforms and nodes. The interactive multimedia services considered in this paper are part of the MESH project, carried out by a Dutch consortium of research institutes, industry and end-users. The MESH project aims at the design and implementation of a platform for multimedia services, such as tele-conferencing, tele-cooperation and tele-learning services. The MESH platform uses an ATM-based communication infrastructure and a CORBA-based distributed processing environment. This particular combination of ingredients (TINA, ATM, CORBA) makes it necessary to consider two different paradigms for distributed system design, which we call the protocol-centred paradigm and the object-centred paradigm. The protocol-centred paradigm has traditionally been used by the telecommunications community; it focuses on the rules for message exchange between (protocol) entities that allow the support of some defined cooperative behaviour or service. The object-centred paradigm originated in the computing community; it is primarily concerned with the operations that can be invoked on (remote) objects and their possible returns. This paper identifies and discusses the role and position of protocols and objects in a TINA-based platform for multimedia services. This paper aims at providing guidance to developers of multimedia services for the electronic super highway, by scanning through the TINA standards and identifying implementation options for different network technologies.