RCE: An Integration Environment for Engineering and Science

Abstract

We present RCE (Remote Component Environment), an open-source framework developed primarily at DLR that enables its users to construct and execute multidisciplinary engineering workflows comprising multiple disciplinary tools. To this end, RCE supplies users with an easyto-use graphical interface that allows for the intuitive integration of disciplinary tools. Users can execute the individual tools on arbitrary nodes present in the network and all data accrued during the execution of the workflow are collected and stored centrally. Hence, RCE makes it easy for collaborating engineers to contribute their individual disciplinary tools to a multidisciplinary design or analysis, and simplifies the subsequent analysis of the workflow's results.

A Collaborative Approach for an Integrated Modeling of Urban Air Transportation Systems

“…The UAM modeling approach of this paper is therefore based on two pillars: For connecting the disciplinary analysis capabilities, the DLR integration software RCE (Remote Component Environment) is used [36,37], which are in favor of improving reusability of multidisciplinary processes. The RCE workflow engine enables the integration of standalone components, with defined inputs and outputs, from local and remote locations into one overall system simulation (compare Figure 3).…”

“…The RCE software package, freely distributed under open-source license, has already proven its worth outside DLR (especially in the field of unconventional aircraft design) for designing, analyzing and optimizing complex systems.Within the EU-funded AGILE project (Aircraft 3rd Generation MDO for Innovative Collaboration of Heterogeneous Teams of Experts), for example, the integration software RCE has been used in an international consortium, comprising 19 partners from Europe, Canada and Russia, with the objective to collaboratively develop optimized aircraft of high complexity [38]. A selection of representative projects is provided by [37,39]. [36] which facilitates cross-company collaboration without jeopardizing intellectual property (right).…”