Evaluation of ‘Plug-in’ Partial File Modification Mechanisms for Node Systems

摘要

Three types of mechanisms were evaluated to determine their applicability to partially modifying an online switching system file and to creating a partial file during the debugging phase. First, the applicability of the basic plug-in mechanism, currently used in commercial switching systems, was evaluated by using data obtained from an initial implementation of PHS and ATM switching systems. It was found to be ap- plicable irrespective of software type (call-processing or OA&M) and service type (PHS or ATM). It was also found to be appli- cable to both specification changes and service feature additions. Then, an extended plug-in mechanism that is enhanced to be more robust against complicated software behaviour was evalu- ated by simulation. It was found to cover cases where the basic plug-in mechanism is difficult to apply. Used together, these two mechanisms guarantee stable and effective file management of an online switching system. A plug-in for offline file creation was found to be applicable to almost all types of file modifications, ex- cept when the interface definition is significantly changed. These plug-in mechanisms can serve as the basis for managing the files in multimedia communication service systems.