COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)
• Implementation of commercially available technologies for
traditionally customized applications
• Examples:
– Military
– Industrial
– Space
• Applies to Hardware and/or Software
COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)
(continued)
• Examples:
Software:
Operating Systems (UNIX, Windows/NT, OS2)
Databases (Oracle, Sybase)
Graphics Packages (Motif, ??)
Hardware:
Busses (VME, PCI, cPCI)
Processors (Motorola, HP, Sun, Intel)
Disk Drives (Western Digital, Red Rock)
Peripherals (Printers, Monitors, Keyboards, etc.)
COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)
(continued)
• COTS vs. Custom
Advantages:
Cheaper (large quantity production)
General Purpose (more flexible for different applications)
Shortens design-to-production cycles
Large user base generally uncovers design defects early
Provides current technology solutions
Emerging technology tends to be backward compatible with
legacy products (allows solutions to advance with
technology)
Avoids binding solution to single hardware/software source
COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)
(continued)
• COTS vs. Custom
Disadvantages:
May not be suitable for all applications:
Highly deterministic performance may require special
operating system
Environmental constraints (temperature, radiation exposure,
corrosive exposure)
Packaging (size, weight, shape)
Reliability:
May not meet reliability requirements of mission critical
systems (flight control, weapons direction, medical
equipment)
Obsolescence:
COTS binds user to market trends - critical components may
become unavailable and impossible to reproduce
COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)
(continued)
•
Examples where COTS has replaced traditional (custom) systems
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Space Shuttle (non mission-critical systems)
Missile Guidance systems
Military ground based and shipboard sensors (radar, sonar)
Industrial control and monitoring systems
telecommunications
Air traffic control
COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)
(continued)
•
Issues and Considerations when using COTS
– Supporting, maintaining, and upgrading systems with long life-cycles
(10+years)
– Licensing and Data Rights
• COTS Software is usually distributed under license (a per-user fee is
typical)
• COTS documentation is normally copyrighted - distribution as part of
another product usually requires special arrangements and a copy fee
• Software source code and designs for hardware are usually
proprietary and protected by copyright or patent - even after it is no
longer distributed