Object Request Broker: Foundation for Distributed Simulation

Real-time, human-in-the-loop simulation of air traffic control is naturally distributed across computing platforms because of the need for many input and display devices, the need for computing power, and the need to integrate legacy simulations that run on a variety of platforms. Object orientation has a long history of fruitful application to simulation problems, including real-time simulation. Thus there is great interest in commercial products for distributed object management. We have examined the suitability of object request broker (ORB) technology for simulation control, i.e. applications-as-objects, and for supporting truly object-oriented, distributed, real-time simulation. Our experience with DEC’s ORB shows that at present the former is feasible but the latter is probably not; however the available implementations are changing rapidly. ORB technology can also bring the distributed interactive simulation (DIS) protocol of the DoD into an object-oriented framework.