Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) middleware - the path for using COTS in space

Most COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) hardware and software are designed to be used in benign environments, not the harsh environment of space in which radiation effects, such as total dose and the predominance of SEU (Single Event Upset) phenomena, have a major impact on the design and operation of spacecraft and payloads. One solution is to modify the COTS hardware and/or software to make it space compatible. This is a less desirable solution because once it is modified, for all intents and purposes, it is no longer COTS. An alternative solution is to develop an architecture which allows the use of COTS hardware and software as is, while providing the necessary fault tolerance and power management features not found in the commercial hardware and software. This paper describes such an architecture based on the ARM concept including identification of the hooks, features, and interfaces needed to fly COTS in space.