Software Framework for Control and Observation in Distributed Environments (CODE)

CODE is a framework for control and observation in distributed environments. The framework enables the observation of resources (computer systems, storage systems, networks, and so on), services (database servers, application execution, servers, file transfer servers, and so on), and applications. Further, the framework provides support for the secure and scalable transmission of this observed information to programs that are interested in it. The framework also supports the secure execution of actions on remote computer systems so that a management program can respond to the observed data that it receives. To assist in writing management programs, the framework interfaces to an existing expert system so that a user can define a set of rules for the expert system to reason on, instead of writing a large amount of code. The framework is modular and can be easily extended to incorporate new sensors to make observations, new actuators to perform actions, new communication protocols, and new security mechanisms. The software also includes several applications that show how the framework can be used.