Architecture and Real-Time Systems (ARTS) Laboratory

RAPIDS Simulator

RAPIDS is a tool designed and built in the Architecture and Real-Time Lab at UMass. Its purpose is to be able to efficently simulate most distributed real-time computing systems. Some of the user-configuruable parameters include:

• System/Network Topology, interconnection network and related parameters.
• Task sets to be run on the simulated system.
• Allocation and Scheduling algorithms.
• Permanent and Transient fault rate, arrival time, and duration.
• Static and Dynamic recovery policies for fault recovery.

As output to the user, RAPIDS provides (in textual and graphic form):

• Exact allocation and scheduling of tasks on each processor.
• Statistics on when faults arrive, what recovery actions are tried, and if/when deadlines are missed.

The RAPIDS simulator is event-driven and can be viewed as a layered structure. It runs on one or more workstations using the PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) message passing interface.

Relevant images:

• Distributed Testbed
• Overview of Simulator
• Layered View of Simulator
• Component View of Simulator
• Functional View of Simulator (system console)
• Central Clock of Simulator
• Example of Simulator Display
• Optimal Scheduling Display
• Virtual Processor Structure
• Overview of Master Functionality
• Overview of Slave Functionality

Software Developments for Simulator

• PVM Extensions
• Network Protocols

Obtaining and Installing RAPIDS

• First download and upack this tar, gzip'd archive: rapids-3.3.tar.gz
• Then check out the following sources of documentation:
• Quick-start installation guide - INSTALL
• Full-length users manual - rapids-uman.pdf
• Programmers Guide - progmanual.pdf