Y21-01 – Monthly review of actions

The Interoperability SIG met from 9 am till 10 am European Central Time.

Agenda

Various software released by CO-LaN, versioning of CAPE-OPEN standard and its related “products”.

Participants

Malcolm WOODMAN, Michael HALLORAN (Contractor for CO-LaN), Michel PONS (Contractor to CO-LaN as Chief Technology Officer)

Highlights

• COBIA

Automation of build process

Michel PONS reported on the automation of the build process for COBIA Runtime and COBIA Software Development Kit distribution packages. The complexity of the manual process as well as the number of software utilities involved made necessary to develop a process which was easier to run. The automation was created by AmsterCHEM, tested and debugged by Michel PONS together with AmsterCHEM. As a result Michel PONS is now able to create a code-signed version of the COBIA distribution packages using the automation.

COBIA Testing

Testing of COBIA is currently performed via its implementation and use in prototypes that, ultimately, are commercially released (so far by KBC Advanced Technologies, HTRI). Interop SIG discussed how to test new builds of the COBIA distribution packages. The point was made that code generators are less important than COBIA middleware itself. So far a manual test can be envisioned, based on the example used for the training course on COBIA given in October 2018 before the CAPE-OPEN 2018 Annual Meeting.

A comparison was made with testing of new versions of COLTT. COLTT testing is based on a manual procedure, testing only features that have been modified. But if something wrong with COLTT, it’s not a show-stopper. Different if the application is a middleware, with both developer and use aspects. It was decided to raise this point within the next joint meeting of the Methods & Tools / Interoperability SIGs.

• CWAF#02

Code-signing certificate

In order to ease up the process of developing new versions of COLTT and of the CAPE-OPEN TLB/PIA distribution packages, CO-LaN Management Board has decided to provide Marcus Bruno Fernandes Silva, contracted by CO-LaN together with AmsterCHEM and Céondo GmbH to provide CO-LaN with software development services, with the code-signing certificate used to authentify software and installation packages distributed by CO-LaN. Michel PONS reported that the transfer has been made and Marcus Bruno Fernandes Silva should shortly make use of the certificate to deliver new versions of the COLTT and of the CAPE-OPEN TLB/PIA distribution packages.

Flowsheet Monitoring

Within the scope of work of CWAF#02, Flowsheet Monitoring interfaces have been added to the list of interfaces logged by COLTT (item COLTT 1.3) and Flowsheet Monitoring interfaces are also included within the CAPE-OPEN TLB/PIA. Michel PONS needs to check with Marcus Bruno Fernandes Silva to what extent testing of the new PIA has been done regarding Flowsheet Monitoring using as a basis the PME harness and the PMC example provided by Michael HALLORAN. It appears that further testing will be only possible once the updated Flowsheet Monitoring specification is implemented in COFE (AmsterCHEM) and in COWAR (US EPA).

Reference counting in COLTT

Design of future Reference counting development is in the scope given to CWAF#02 as item COLTT 1.5. However, after further consideration, it was decided to switch design of reference counting in COLTT to fix the known reference counting defect. This decision was taken because neither Michael HALLORAN nor Michel PONS figured a way to reproduce reference counting issues between a PME and a PMC that could subsequently be detected by COLTT. Still use of COLTT introduced now and then reference counting issues and these could be tackled within CWAF#02.

Documentation

Céondo GmbH has delivered a new version of the document orginally intended to help developers understand the development environment required to work on the COLTT project (item Documentation 3.2). Michael HALLORAN needs to review this updated version and provide feedback and comments to Céondo GmbH.

TLB/PIA installers

Resolution of a number of issues regarding the TLB/PIA installers are within the scope of CWAF#02: among them are resolution of issue of installing both 32-bit and 64-bit merge modules (TLB/PIA installer 2.2), use of conditional setdirectory directive to distinguish common file locations in a per user install (TLB/PIA installer 2.6). Michael HALLORAN needs to discuss with AmsterCHEM the solutions proposed and follow implementation progress.

• COLTT

Documentation

In order to obtain a complete documentation, Michel PONS needs to extend the COLTT developer guide to include use of the code-signing certificate.

Deprecated ATL attributes

Michael HALLORAN needs to further investigate deprecated ATL attributes mentioned at build time and research Microsoft’s recommended resolution.

• Versioning of CAPE-OPEN standard

Michel PONS needs to combine the various elements making up the proposal and to submit them to CO-LaN Management Board for approval.

Next meeting of the Interoperability SIG is scheduled for February 3, 2021..