COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF (COTS)

							        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)
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• 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)
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• 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)
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• 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)
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•   Examples where COTS has replaced traditional (custom) systems
     –   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)
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•   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