Composite design software

Deployment Methods

The CDS suite will be made available to the end user by three specific deployment methods. These methods will dictate the end functionality of each program and will allow integration of third party software or additional customizations depending on the end user needs.

Method I

The first method shown schematically in Figure 1 will involve the use of an open ended application server that will have open TCP-IP communication to CDS running on the client side.

For this method to work, the end user first downloads a password protected installation package for whatever particular CDS application they need to use as part of their composites design and/or analysis. Once installation is complete, the user will be required to email UD-CCM and provide them with their name and machine IP address for verification purposes. When the application on the client machine is run, the program will contact the CCM application web server (arrow 1) to ask permission to run on the client machine. Information transmitted with this request includes the user name, the client side IP address (internet protocol address given to every machine which requires access to an internet connection) and the program and version number. The CDS application server will compare this information to a database at UD-CCM to see if this person is allowed to use this particular CDS application. If the user is approved the server will send a message back to the client to allow use of the program (arrow 2). This method of deployment has the following advantages:

• Sensitive CDS programs that include third party code will be tightly controlled by the CDS application server (for example IBHVG3 embedded within CCDS is a controlled CDS application)
• CDS application use is flexible across an IP network. For example all IP addresses at CCM are represented by 128.175.*.* so that the application server can allow all users to use a particular CDS application with these first six digits (arrows 1 & 2)
• Old, obsolete or bugged client side CDS programs can be turned off if there is a problem thus ensuring that all releases are up to date.
• This method can be used to time stamp CDS applications for particular programs. For example a company involved with an SBIR can use any CDS applications important to that project for the duration of that program until the project is complete. Once complete the client side will be refused access unless a new agreement is started or a different deployment method is used (arrows 5 & 6)

Figure 1. CCM CDS Application Server communicating to different client-side PC’s

Method II

The second method of deployment will be through the use of a Labview web server where the design engineer can use simplified versions of the CDS suite using a web based interface such as internet explorer. UD-CCM is currently setting up a powerful web server PC with 3Gigs of RAM that will be used exclusively as the new technology site for CDS. This will allow engineers to use the CDS suite to do design and analysis directly over the internet. Material systems, saved analyses, stacking sequences etc. will be loaded and saved from the client-side thus ensuring that the designer has complete control over their work. The web based CDS applications will, however, be somewhat limited in options as all the computations are carried out on the server side which may slow the server down if many users are accessing the Labview server at one time. In summary, this method will allow users to become familiar with the capabilities of the CDS suite, making the choice easier between using the simplified versions or upgrading to becoming a member of the application server deployment.

Method III

The third method of deployment will be a full client side download through a password protected website. This method will only be available to ARL and CCM researchers who qualify for full use access without an internet connection. This method will also be made available for development purposes where access to the source code may be required.