A network environment for computer-supported cooperative work

Abstract

A second generation computer supported cooperative work system called Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES2) is described in this paper. The EIES2 communications environment allows users to network across geographical constraints using asynchronous or synchronous communications. The architecture of the network environment is decentralized, and is implemented using modern standards, and an easy-to-use user interface. At the heart of EIES2 is a high-level, object oriented pseudo machine which incorporates a distributed, communications-oriented database. The set of tools provided by the EIES2 communications environment is well suited for implementing group communication systems that have an extensive set of user features built into it. These tools are well suited to support the group communication model described by the AMIGO task force (IFIP 6.5 and ISO TC97/SC18/WG64). The EIES2 application layer protocols, using CCITT/ISO X.410 Remote Operations, support a distributed object oriented database.