DIPCS: An interprocess communication architecture for distributed multimedia systems

This paper presents the Distributed InterProcess Communication System (DIPCS) as a framework for managing communication in a distributed multimedia system. Within DIPCS, connection level management is provided through a novel distributed process group model called ADP-Group communication. The ADP-Group paradigm defines a new type of group message passing, called qos-reliable. Qos-reliable semantics are appropriate to controlling real-time multimedia communication, by allowing a spectrum of performance and reliability specifications to co-exist within one group. DIPCS also provides an abstract programming model of multimedia devices, easing control of a heterogeneous multimedia system. Distributed multimedia applications can be rapidly developed using simple group operation primitives. We show how ADP-Group message delivery semantics can be directly mapped into an efficient Integrated Services Network support policy.