Conclusions

Remote Procedure Call is a technique which is becoming increasingly important in physics experiments, with the profusion of distributed processing power. Experience at CERN over the last three years has demonstrated that the same design technique can be applied in environments as diverse as embedded eight-bit processors without operating systems, M68020 processors running with or without real-time executives, VAX systems and workstations running VMS, and personal computers. The communication media have also been varied, ranging from raw ethernet and RS232 links to the use of standard Class 4 transport services, TCP/IP, DECnet, and fast dedicated hardware links. The fact that the applications code is largely independent of this variety, and of future variations, has been an aid both to simplified design and to program portability.

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