Distributed configuration management using composite objects and constraints

Distributed programming has transformed applications into federations of cooperating components. Complex interactions between components create complex interdependencies which are outstripping the capacity of systems managers. Adding configuration management features to an application´s components reduces flexibility and portability. The Raven Configuration Management System (RCMS) handles configuration management orthogonally to the task of programming components. RCMS groups related components together, and provides rules which govern their interactions. RCMS combines object-oriented structuring with declarative programming to improve reliability and performance in the presence of an evolving environment. An initial version of RCMS has been completed, including a compiler and run-time support routines