Objective
The aim of the Project is to develop, validate and promote a Service Architecture (called Open Service Architecture for an integrated fixed and Mobile environment - OSAM) that meets open provision requirements for communication services over both fixed and mobile heterogeneous and multi-provider telecommunications networks.
Set of TINA-compliant components for personal communications
contribution to the definition of a Common Service Architecture for ACTS projects
TINA-compliant service creation methods, languages and tools.
elements of convergence between TINA and Internet architectures
leading-edge support of nomadic computing and information browsing
Expected Impact
Contribution to the general objectives of the Programme is made by participating to the Concertation Domain 5 (Service Engineering, Security, and Communications Management) and to the Chains NIF (Fixed and Mobile Networks Interworking), SIA (Service Architecture) and SII (Interactive Multimedia Services). DOLMEN is leading the production of a Guideline in the NIF Chain. Links with projects ReTINA and VITAL aim to complement and harmonise contributions to TINA-C. Contributions are also foreseen to the following bodies: ITU-T, ETSI, W3 Consortium, and OMG.
Results achieved so far
Representation of mobility functions in the architecture. The first release of OSAM shows that mobility has impact on all parts of the architecture: application level (session control and connection control), DPE level and kernel transport network level. Furthermore, wireless access is also handled at the DPE level using a specific CORBA technique called bridging. Ancillary to this work is the identification of enhancements to available commercial distributed processing platform, in accordance to DOLMEN requirements.
Service design framework. Around the "core mission" of the Project, the following achievements can be reported: (a) establishment of an appropriate service design and development environment; (b) guidelines for the IDL definition of the Service Machine components and the SDL specification of behaviours; (c) transformation relations between the OSAM component model and state-orientated behavioural languages.
Population of OSAM with actual components (specification of interfaces and behaviours) is in advanced status, with particular emphasis on: (a) components responding to mobility and application requirements; (b) resource adaptation components, interfacing the Service Machine with the available network elements and with the browsing application. A set of specifications - harmonised with TINA object definitions - is now available for later use in the Project Trials and also for export to the Concertation Mechanism.
DOLMEN First Trial was successfully carried out. Its results confirm that current mobile communication technology puts serious limitations on hypermedia information browsing. Further improvements for efficiency require enhancements not only in the WWW architecture and protocols, but also an underlying, general-purpose TINA-compliant telecom service environment.
Main contributions to the programme objectives:
Main deliverables
Definition and promotion of a open service architecture to meet the open provision requirements across heterogeneous fixed and mobile networks.
Contribution to the programme
DOLMEN contributed to the establishement of an internationally agreed architectural framework in harmony with TINA-C, contributing to ITU-T, ETSI, W3 Consortium and OMG. Open architectures are a central objective of ACTS Domain 5.
Technical Approach
The DOLMEN approach subscribes to the TINA-C vision of telecommunications, beyond that currently offered by B-ISDN, IN and TMN. The telecommunications service infrastructure is seen as a large scale, distributed processing environment.
The Project is committed to enrich and refine the TINA architecture with respect to personal and terminal mobility support. Accordingly, DOLMEN is a TINA-C Auxiliary Project. The envisaged extensions to TINA architecture we call OSAM. Major legacy material comes from RACE Projects MONET (functionality of future mobile systems) and Cassiopeia (OSA service design and deployment framework).
Summary of Trial
DOLMEN is demonstrating and assessing the architecture usability and exploitability by way of a technology trial. Specifically, DOLMEN is:
developing and prototyping architecture-compliant components for mobile and fixed telecommunication services;
enhancing a distributed processing platform in support of component control, management and interaction;
developing components to interface and adapt network resources made available by two National Hosts.
Later on, it will:
deploy a multimedia user application (hypermedia information browsing) making full use of the communications facilities provided by the Service Machine;
validate the architecture against the requirements of its partner users by means of incremental demonstration of technology throughout the project duration.
Key Issues
integration of control of mobile and fixed network and service functions
engineering of a kernel transport network
distributed processing platforms for use in telecommunications
object-oriented design and component models
definition of standard components for UPT and UMTS systems
encapsulation and adaptation of network infrastructure resources
mapping of service architecture onto network architectures
mapping of information browsing architectures onto TINA
Expected users of results
The results are being promoted among intended users of the architecture. These users are represented within the project and include:
Telco Operators, of both fixed and mobile networks
Manufacturers of telecommunications and information technology equipment
Software Houses and providers of multimedia applications.
Consultancy and Enabling Technology Providers.
DOLMEN plans to organise demonstration sessions at various stages of the project for the benefit of the above users.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternettransport layer
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationstelecommunications networksmobile network
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineophthalmology
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
00142 ROMA
Italy