# Research Infusion 2008

# Tool or Technology Information

**[Contact Information]{.underline}**

Name of Tool/Technology: RAPID RMA (RRMA)

Name of Technology Provider: Tri-Pacific Software, Inc.

Primary Point of Contact (PPC): Peter Kortmann

PPC Phone No.: 510-520-4121

PPC e-mail: <peter@tripac.com>

Alternate Contact Name (APC): Fred Kortmann

APC Phone No.: 510-814-1770

APC e-mail: <fkorttps@tripac.com>

Technology Provider Website:
<http://www.tripac.com/html/prod-fact-rrm.html>

Technology Provider Address: Tri-Pacific Software, Inc.

909 Marina Village Parkway #283

Alameda, CA 94501

USA

**[Tool/Technology Details]{.underline}**

Description of Tool/Technology: RAPID RMA provides a modeling
environment for engineers to capture and analyze the non-functional or
timing requirements of their architecture. RAPID RMA allows an engineer
to analyze single node, multiple node or dependant end-to-end
architectures for worst-case schedulability using Rate Monotonic
Analysis (RMA). RAPID RMA also employs extensions to the base RMA
algorithms to also provide analysis for cyclic Executives and aperiodic
tasks. The tool also provides what-if analysis to help pinpoint
potential bottlenecks or resource contention problems while in the
design phase. RAPID RMA can be used from the design phase of a program
through implementation and maintenance to help ensure that a system will
always be schedulable. RAPID RMA is based on research conducted at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. RAPID RMA implements the
object oriented resource contention protocol, Distributed Affected Set
Priority Ceiling Protocol (DASPCP), developed by the University of Rhode
Island and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).

Commercial or Research Technology: Commercial

Associated Program:

Potential Benefits: In the systems design phase, earlier understanding
of whether the proposed design can meet the timing and resource
requirements specified by the user thereby saving time and money by
finding the problem before the system needs to be re-engineered. In the
software development phase, updated models ensure that the timing and
resource requirements are still being met as changes are made to the
system design. In the systems test phase, budgeted timing and resource
requirements become firmer and therefore can change the worst case
schedulability and need to be re-analyzed before problems get
implemented and need further re-engineering. In the maintenance phase,
potential changes in the architecture can be analyzed for meeting the
timing and schedulability requirements before undertaking the changes to
the system.

Overall, RAPID RMA provides an environment to specifically model the
non-functional or timing and resource requirements of an architecture to
ensure that the application will execute under worst case conditions
using the available resources and within the time required to accomplish
the tasks specified. During the software development phase, building and
running the analysis in RAPID RMA provides the assurance that the
non-functional requirements of timing and resource usage will still be
met. As specifications change, and the budgeted time and resource usage
become firmer, then updating and re-running the analysis can provide an
updated assurance of meeting/not meeting the user requirements. RAPID
RMA also has a plug-in to Telelogic Rhapsody and IBM Rational Rose
RealTime to add this analysis capability to tools which provide the
functional requirements validation but not the non-functional
requirements validation.

Supported Platforms: Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista; Linux

Required Inputs: Information about the tasks and the resources used by
the tasks

Information needed by task:

-   Task name

-   Period (can be deterministic, uniform or exponential distribution)

-   Work (done in the period)

-   Deadline

-   Resources used by the task (and how long they are used)

-   Priority (if using user defined priority versus RMA or DMA priority
    system generated)

> Information needed for the Resources:

-   Resource name

-   If active resource (CPU) then need speed of processor and context
    switch rate

-   If passive resource then don\'t need speed

Outputs Produced: Worst-case analysis screen with results of analysis;
schedules graph (mini-simulator showing the tasks and resources as they
might execute for the first several cycles)

**[Maturity Level]{.underline}**

Applied to Real Problems? Yes No

If Yes, Level of Success Achieved: RAPID RMA has been used by Raytheon,
Northrop Grumman, U.S. Army, FMC, LMCO, and Mitre in the defense world.
It has also been used by medical device companies such as Medtronic and
Vitatron. It has been used by telecom companies such as Nokia, Ericsson,
and Lucent. Proprietary data from these companies are unavailable.

Already in Use within NASA? Yes No

If Yes, at what center(s): Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL ) used RAPID RMA
several years ago for purposes unknown

**[Support]{.underline}**

User/Ref. Documentation Available: Yes

Phone Support Available: Yes

Is Tool/Technology Developer willing to support infusion effort? Yes No

**[Licensing]{.underline}**

Is Tool/Technology Developer willing to provide Evaluation Copy for
extended period of time? Yes No

**[Other Information]{.underline}**

[http://www.edn.com/archives/1997/090197/18df_03.htm?text=Rate+Monotonic+Analysis+Keeps+Real%2DTime+Sysems+on+Schedule](http://www.edn.com/archives/1997/090197/18df_03.htm?text=Rate+Monotonic+Analysis+Keeps+Real-Time+Sysems+on+Schedule)