This paper presents inter processus communication (IPC) real-time performances measured on different operating systems, including GNU/Linux, Windows 98, 2000, NT 4.0 and MacOS X. The adopted point of view is based on a client / server model. The operating systems behavior and message transmission latency times are evaluated in different contexts: with one to ten clients for the server, with systems more or less busy with alternate tasks. As we wanted to measure... Lire la suite

This paper presents inter processus communication (IPC) real-time performances measured on different operating systems, including GNU/Linux, Windows 98, 2000, NT 4.0 and MacOS X. The adopted point of view is based on a client / server model. The operating systems behavior and message transmission latency times are evaluated in different contexts: with one to ten clients for the server, with systems more or less busy with alternate tasks. As we wanted to measure real world performances, the benchmarks have been applied to operating systems running standard default configurations. Each time it was possible, we compared the different systems on the base of local Unix sockets communication way. But above all, we choose the most efficient communication way per system to evaluate the overall best performances that one can expect in a client / server model.

MidiShare is a portable software architecture for musical applications, based on a client/server model. Up to now and along all the supported operating systems (GNU/Linux, MacOS, Windows), it has always been implemented at low level operating system layer. This choice was dictated by efficiency and time constraints. The main drawback of using low level layers is the lack of portability and the complexity of the kernel extensions design. Recent evolutions of ope... Lire la suite

MidiShare is a portable software architecture for musical applications, based on a client/server model. Up to now and along all the supported operating systems (GNU/Linux, MacOS, Windows), it has always been implemented at low level operating system layer. This choice was dictated by efficiency and time constraints. The main drawback of using low level layers is the lack of portability and the complexity of the kernel extensions design. Recent evolutions of operating systems, combined with important technology improvements, have made possible to consider a more portable architecture for MidiShare. This document presents a proposed new architecture, based on a user level design.

Real time interapplication communications are a key feature in musical multi-task operating systems. Independent applications can therefore be connected and collaborate by exchanging messages and data through communication channels. All these collaborating applications define a virtual network the user can dynamically configurate. The topology of such virtual network specifies the way applications can be connected together. This paper introduces a new hierarchi... Lire la suite

Real time interapplication communications are a key feature in musical multi-task operating systems. Independent applications can therefore be connected and collaborate by exchanging messages and data through communication channels. All these collaborating applications define a virtual network the user can dynamically configurate. The topology of such virtual network specifies the way applications can be connected together. This paper introduces a new hierarchical topology we recently implemented in our MidiShare multi-task operating system. This approach offers several advantages and particularly when a large number of applications are involved or in a multi-user context.