Handling of QoS characteristics

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Abstract

Network users can apply principles of software evaluation to networking services. We introduce a specific method for measuring important service characteristics. The method and the measurement procedure allows to compare the actual characteristics of service quality with the required characteristics. Since the approach can easily and efficiently be implemented in any organisation, it may help-end-users in choosing network service providers.

GMD, the German National Research Center for Computer Science, provided from 1991 to the end of 1993 the “German Networking, Research and Information Centre” (GeNeRIC) for electronic mail, file transfer, remote login, packet switching, and information services in a multi-protocol environment (OSI, EARN/BITNET, Internet). The users and the contractors required a guaranteed quality of service (QoS). Provider-specific approaches were chosen to achieve this, since there is still no accepted definition of QoS characteristics. GMD also participated in the ESPRIT project “Software Assessment and Certification Program Europe” (SCOPE) from 1989 to 1993. In this paper, we show how the software evaluation method developed in SCOPE can be used to handle the QoS characteristics of networking.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (3)

  • Deutsche Welle: On the air

    1996, Computer Networks and ISDN Systems
1

Manfred Bogen has been working as a scientist at GMD since 1983, where he has been active in the area of group communication, X.400 development, and X.400 standardisation. In 1987 he became head of the German Networking, Research and Information Centre and for the provision of value-added services. He studied computer science at the University of Bonn and is co-author of two books about X.400 and about distributed group communication. At present, he is the convenor of the RARE working group on network operation (RARE WG-NOP) and a member of the RARE Technical Committee aand the Internet Society.

2

Hans-Ludwig Hausen received degrees in electrical engineering and in computer science from the Technical University of Berlin. He worked as teacher and consultant at the Technical University of Berlin and later at GMD. Within GMD he has worked on computer-aided software engineering environments and on software quality engineering. During the last five years, he has been working in several European projects and initiatives on software quality and productivity. In ISO he has defined a software quality and certification scheme.

3

Rainer Worst received a degree in computer science from the University of Bonn. He worked three years in a major software house as system analyst and programmer. Then he joined GMD in 1984, where he became head of the software methods and tools group. From 1991 to 1993, he was hired out to the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology, where he was responsible for parts of the programme Quality Management. He is now working at GMD's software engineering department and is focusing on quality systems.

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