An Actor-Based Distribution Model for Realtime Interactive Systems

This article illustrates the design and development of distribution properties for Realtime Interactive Systems (RIS). The approach is based on the actor model for concurrent computation. The actor model provides a unified API for intra-node as well as for inter-node distribution and strongly facilitates the development of concurrent applications. Several benchmarks analyze vital performance properties to support the design decisions taken. The benchmarks describe typical setups found in RIS-applications, i.e., distributed rendering for large screen and tiled displays in immersive VR setups. Actual and potential performance impacts caused by the actor middleware are analyzed and identified and alternative solutions to overcome these impacts are provided.