A framework for distributed data processing requirements
Stephen W. Smoliar, J.E. Scalf · 2005
The development of a distributed system de dicated to a single mission entails difficulties not encountered in the development of a corres ponding centralized system. The considerable flexibility Allowed in selecting resources and the resulting potential for complexity of interaction among these resources necessitates a new view of the entire development process. It must be recognized, at the outset, that there are two facets to all design activities in this process. On the one hand, the task of logical design is primarily concerned with formulating a suitable elaboration of system requirements; complementing this task, physical design is concerned with the realization of these requirements in terms of an ultimate implementation. A two-dimensional framework is presented as a context for the task of logical design. In one dimension the system is represented as a hierarchy of partitions of responsibilities for requirements, while the second dimension addresses the topologies of interconnections among the blocks in each partition. Requirements elaboration may then be formulated in terms of issues involving the selection of a specific interconnection topology at each level of the hierarchy. These issues may be ex pressed in terms of a sequence of questions concerning interconnection which may be posed at each level. System requirements may then be elaborated in such a way that they will serve to answer these questions.