Real-time orchestration of applications

We all know the pleasant sound that arises from a perfectly harmonized orchestra. The more orchestra members, the more beautiful and powerful the sound, but also the more complex the interactions involved. Within the orchestra, it is crucial to organize the roles among the musicians. It is vital that they know exactly when, how, and for how long to play their part. In the world of classical music, the conductor is the person who orchestrates the performance by each individual musician into a synchronized musical piece of art. They are the key driver of the orchestra, the central ‘element’ of this highly efficient arrangement.

As stated in a detailed analysis of a conductor’s role at The Conversation, “This is part mathematical, part artistic. The mathematical refers to the precise time keeping of rhythm, which in turn allows the ensemble to have the greatest chance of performing together.”

This relation to the mathematical view is a very reasonable one. Conducting is about structure and therefore,  is a logical prerequisite for this form of art. To experience a unique and synchronized musical performance, it is essential to have all the assigned instruments systematically interconnected. Scheduling is thus a predominant step in the consolidation of these actions to produce a successful outcome.

Orchestration of applications is the mechanism for coordination of multiple tasks performed in the right order and on time to enable the running of applications seamlessly. Entering the sphere of software functions, our conductor becomes the mastermind for perfectly aligned application performance. He represents the scheduler of tasks distributed among applications, respecting the pre-defined execution boundaries, safety, and priority levels, resulting in accurate output.

The automotive industry, now more than ever, needs to be highly responsive to the issue of complexity. Hardware components being released into the automotive industry are becoming more powerful and more capable, but with this they become more difficult to manage. At the same time, the complexity of software functions is growing exponentially. To deal with these challenging trends, new improved solutions must be introduced. With the availability and safety requirements of today’s embedded real-time systems, we must continually think of ensuring the guarantee of service for every driving scenario.