Talarian's SmartSockets Provides Fault-Tolerant Middleware Connectivity for CERES Satellite Control System; Storm Integration uses SmartSockets to link disparate COTS products.

Corp., developer and provider of advanced software development tools, today announced that Storm Integration, Inc. (Storm) is using Talarian's SmartSockets as the message-oriented middleware technology for the CERES (CEnter for REsearch Support) satellite control system.

The CERES system is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force's Space Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the National Test Bed Joint Office. It was designed with a flexible and modular architecture using proven commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products.

James Corrigan, project manager, Storm Integration, Inc., said: "SmartSockets has proven to be a very powerful tool for the integration of dissimilar COTS software products. The application programmers' interface (API) is straightforward and extremely well-documented.

"We have encountered no major performance bottlenecks. In fact, the data transfer rates of SmartSockets in many cases exceed the ability of the COTS products to process the data. In short, we have had a very good experience with SmartSockets and are already planning to use it in future systems."

Talarian's SmartSockets is a robust message-oriented middleware toolkit for interprocess communication (IPC). It allows software programs to communicate quickly and reliably across different operating systems through the use of structured messages. In the CERES system, SmartSockets' open, client/server approach facilitates the linking of disparate COTS products in a mission-critical environment.

Thomas J. Laffey, vice president of engineering and co-founder, Talarian Corp., said: "Storm's selection of SmartSockets is an endorsement of Talarian's fault-tolerant messaging technology.

"Storm used SmartSockets' `publish/subscribe' capability to build component-level interfaces to each of the COTS products in the CERES system.

"This allows the components to exchange data asynchronously without specific knowledge of the interfaces, thus reducing development time. Because SmartSockets was designed from the ground up for mission-critical operations, it is particularly well-suited for the performance and reliability demands of the CERES system, which operates around the clock."

Background

CERES uses COTS products to meet system requirements for satellite commanding, telemetry data processing, orbit data processing, mission planning, scheduling and remote tracking station interface. Storm is responsible for all commercial product procurement, integration, testing and installation in the CERES facility.

The integration effort included developing a user interface for common access to COTS products, and component level interfaces between different products.

For every COTS product integrated into the CERES system, a corresponding "bridge" process has been developed. Each bridge connects to SmartSockets and subscribes to data needed by its COTS application. If appropriate data requests are received, the COTS application is either launched or a connection is made to the already executing application.

Data generated by the COTS application is then published to SmartSockets. A bridge process for another application can then retrieve that data from SmartSockets.

COTS products linked by SmartSockets in the CERES system include Storm's Intelligent Mission Toolkit (IMT), Storm's Precision Orbit Determination System (PODS), Analytical Graphic Inc.'s Satellite Tool Kit (STK) and Loral Test & Information Systems' (LTIS) System 500.

Storm Integration, Inc.

Storm's products provide solutions to the aerospace industry which must adapt and downsize to remain competitive. Until now, complex systems development has required customized hardware and software, long development cycles and high procurement and O&M costs.

Storm products provide systems integrators with a COTS solution that eliminates excessive development and minimizes overall program cost. The company can be reached at CIT Tower, Suite 502, 2214 Rock Hill Road, Herndon, VA 22070. Telephone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. URL: http://www.1earth.com/storm.

Talarian Corp.

Talarian develops cross-platform software tools for building reliable distributed applications. The privately-held company was founded in 1989 and can be reached at 444 Castro Street, Suite 140, Mountain View, CA 94041. Telephone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail], URL: http://www.mainstreet.net/talarian. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: SmartSockets is a trademark and Talarian is a registered trademark of Talarian Corp. All other trade names are trademarks of their respective manufacturers.

CONTACT: Talarian Corp., Mountain View

Tim Sullivan, 415/965-8050

E-Mail: [e-mail]

or

Storm Integration Inc.

Raghbir Hundal, 408/271-0800, x107

E-Mail: [e-mail]

or

Cole Communications

Calisa Cole, 415/324-3152

E-Mail: [e-mail]