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--- at:tutorial:distribution [2009/01/29 15:50] – elisag
+++ at:tutorial:distribution [2009/01/29 16:14] – elisag
@@ Line 274: / Line 274: @@
 As previously mentioned, the ''takeOffline'' primitive notifies connected virtual machines when taking an object offline. Since AmbientTalk 2.12, the primitive not only notifies remote virtual machines, but it also notifies the local virtual machine where the ''takeOffline'' was executed so that if any inner actor has local far references to that object, it will also get notified. In other words, if an object is taken offline, all actors holding far references to it (independent of their location) get notified.
-This semantics is useful for unit test purposes. The [[appendix#unit_testing_framework|unit testing framework]] shipped with AmbientTalk has support to perform asynchronous invocations which can be used to perform concurrent or distributed unit tests. However, distributed unit tests couldn't simulate network disconnections as ''network.offline'' works at actor level. In other words, ''network.offline'' simulates a disconnection of the complete virtual machine, but it doesn't simulate the disconnection of a particular actor inside the VM. By means of ''takeOffline'' primitive, you can cut the access of an object contained in any actor (within the same VM or a remote VM),  enabling the simulation of the disconnection of an actor inside a virtual machine.
+These semantics is useful for unit test purposes. The [[appendix#unit_testing_framework|unit testing framework]] shipped with AmbientTalk has support to perform asynchronous invocations which can be used to perform concurrent or distributed unit tests. Actually, distributed unit tests are simulated by means of concurrency, i.e. using different actors in your unit test.
+However, distributed unit tests cannot simulate network disconnections by means of ''network.offline'' since the construct works at actor level. In other words, ''network.offline'' simulates a disconnection of the complete virtual machine, but what the test needs is to simulate the disconnection of a particular actor inside the VM. By means of ''takeOffline'' primitive, you can cut the access of an object contained in any actor (within the same VM or a remote VM),  enabling the simulation of the disconnection of an actor inside a virtual machine.