Toward a real-time TCP SYN Flood DDoS mitigation using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy classifier and SDN Assistance in Fog Computing

The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has recently impacted our daily lives in many ways. As a result, a massive volume of data is generated and needs to be processed in a short period of time. Therefore, the combination of computing models such as cloud computing is necessary. The main disadvantage of the cloud platform is its high latency due to the centralized mainframe. Fortunately, a distributed paradigm known as fog computing has emerged to overcome this problem, offering cloud services with low latency and high-access bandwidth to support many IoT application scenarios. However, Attacks against fog servers can take many forms, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that severely affect the reliability and availability of fog services. To address these challenges, we propose mitigation of Fog computing-based SYN Flood DDoS attacks using an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) Assistance (FASA). The simulation results show that FASA system outperforms other algorithms in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. This shows how crucial our system is for detecting and mitigating TCP SYN floods DDoS attacks.Comment: 16 page

Improved quality control procedures and models for solar radiation using a world-wide database

This thesis deals with- various aspects of broadband horizontal solar irradiance. Quality control of measured datasets are identified and analysed. It was found that solar irradiance datasets may contain significant errors. These sources of errors were divided in two categories, the inherent instrument errors and operation related errors. Methods of assessing the quality of the datasets were evaluated and found to be unsatisfactory. A new method was hence developed to quality control the solar irradiance data. The quality control procedure consists of two tiers of tests. The first tests are physical tests that identify and remove data points that are physical impossibilities. The second tier tests consist of the creation of a mathematical envelope of acceptance in a sky clarity index domain. This envelope of acceptance is based on multiples of standard deviations of the weighted mean of clearness index to diffuse ratio. The available datasets in this study were thus quality controlled to remove any obvious outliers. Modelling the solar resource is an important tool for engineers and scientists. Such models have been developed since the second half of the 20th century. Some models rely on one or two meteorological parameters to estimate the solar irradiance, while other models are more complex and require a far greater number of points. Two of these models have been analysed and evaluated. The two models are all-sky, broadband solar irradiance models. The first model analysed is the Meteorological Radiation Model, or MRM. This model is in fact a sunshine based model, with atmospheric turbidity taken into account as well. The beam irradiance component was found to be acceptable given the number of inputs required by the model. Any extra parameters would increase the complexity of the model, without noticeable improvements. The regressions were modified to take into account sunshine fraction banding. However the diffuse irradiance was identified as one which had the potential III for improvement. Thus, in the present work an attempt has been made to develop improved models. The new model was found to be far superior to the older, original model, thus the name Improved Meteorological Radiation Model, IMRM. The second type of model investigated is the cloud based radiation model. This type of model is simple to use and rely on regressions between irradiation, solar altitude angle and the cloud cover. Careful analysis of the cloud distribution reveals certain flaws in the current regressions. New regressions were formulated and the result was a model superior to all its predecessors. Clear-sky modelling is important for maximum load calculations; however, there is no method of extracting with accuracy clear-sky broadband data. Clear-sky identification techniques were evaluated and a new method was devised. These new datasets were used on four clear-sky models, MRM, Page's Radiation Model, PRM, Yang's radiation model and Gueymard's REST2 model. It was found that using this new method of extracting extremeclear- sky data, the models performed better than when using quasi-clear-sky data. Solar radiation modelling is not an end by-itself, it must serve a purpose for engineers in their applications. Napier University has installed a 160m2 photovoltaic facility in 2003. A 27 -year solar radiation dataset was available for Edinburgh, to do feasibility calculations for the project; however this dataset contained gaps in the data. The cloud radiation model developed in this study was utilised to this end. In addition a complete life cycle analysis was performed on the project, and it was found that with an average efficiency at around 12%, the facility will payback its embodied energy in eight years, and based on a relatively conservative forecast of energy prices, the financial payback is set at under 100 years.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Crafting the wearable computer: Design process and user experience

The purpose of the research described in this thesis was to develop a design methodology for Wearable Computing concepts that could potentially embody authenticity. The Wearables community, still firmly rooted in the disciplines of engineering and ergonomics, had made clear its aspirations to the mainstream market (DeVaul et al 2001). However, at this point, there was a distinct lack of qualitative studies on user perceptions of Wearable products. A review of the market research literature revealed significant consumer demand for authenticity in goods and services, and it was this need that drove the program of research.The researcher’s experience as a contemporary jeweller led her to question the positivist design processes of Wearable Computers. The ‘borg’-like aesthetics that had come to characterise these products reflected their origins in the laboratory, and implicit configurations of the user appeared to be acting as a barrier to wider adoption. The research therefore looked to Craft as a creative process with a fundamentally different working philosophy to begin building a new methodology for Wearables.Literature reviews of authenticity and Craft were conducted to provide the theoretical framework necessary for a practice-led enquiry into the design process. Further empirical work was undertaken in the form of the comfortBlanket, a concept design project, and a small survey of makers to provide a set of protocols for craft informed design processes. Following this, a suite of wirelessly networked jewellery was designed for a friendship group of five retirement aged women, and built in collaboration with the Speckled Computing Consortium, Scotland.The user centred methodology is informed by Actor Network Theory to account for the agency of the researcher and the event of task based analyses, and includes lifeworld analysis techniques drawn from a range of disciplines such as psychology and experimental Interaction Design.Three data sets collected over the course of two years were analysed using Grounded Theory, and a novel visualisation tool was developed to illustrate potential commitment to the novel concept designs. The methodology revealed a story of what the women made of the jewellery, how they enacted these understandings, and where this process took place. It was found that evaluating concept designs for the everyday and for authenticity require different approaches and that the design process does not end with the user, but with a reflexive analysis by the designer or researcher. In many respects the proposed methodology inverts standard design practices, presenting as many questions as it seeks to resolve.The methodology is presented as a contribution to emerging communities of practice around Wearable Computing, and to those developers seeking to position their products in the everyday. It is a challenging process that embodies authenticity in its post-structural treatment of functionality, the user and evaluation. Finally, the implemented wireless jewellery network represented the first application of Speckled Computing, and it is anticipated that the theoretical frameworks arrived at will also be of interest to Interaction Design and Contemporary Craft

Improved quality control procedures and models for solar radiation using a world-wide database.

This thesis deals with- various aspects of broadband horizontal solarirradiance. Quality control of measured datasets are identified and analysed. Itwas found that solar irradiance datasets may contain significant errors. Thesesources of errors were divided in two categories, the inherent instrumenterrors and operation related errors. Methods of assessing the quality of thedatasets were evaluated and found to be unsatisfactory. A new method washence developed to quality control the solar irradiance data.The quality control procedure consists of two tiers of tests. The first tests arephysical tests that identify and remove data points that are physicalimpossibilities. The second tier tests consist of the creation of a mathematicalenvelope of acceptance in a sky clarity index domain. This envelope ofacceptance is based on multiples of standard deviations of the weightedmean of clearness index to diffuse ratio. The available datasets in this studywere thus quality controlled to remove any obvious outliers.Modelling the solar resource is an important tool for engineers and scientists.Such models have been developed since the second half of the 20th century.Some models rely on one or two meteorological parameters to estimate thesolar irradiance, while other models are more complex and require a fargreater number of points. Two of these models have been analysed andevaluated. The two models are all-sky, broadband solar irradiance models.The first model analysed is the Meteorological Radiation Model, or MRM. Thismodel is in fact a sunshine based model, with atmospheric turbidity taken intoaccount as well. The beam irradiance component was found to be acceptablegiven the number of inputs required by the model. Any extra parameterswould increase the complexity of the model, without noticeable improvements.The regressions were modified to take into account sunshine fraction banding.However the diffuse irradiance was identified as one which had the potentialIIIfor improvement. Thus, in the present work an attempt has been made todevelop improved models. The new model was found to be far superior to theolder, original model, thus the name Improved Meteorological RadiationModel, IMRM.The second type of model investigated is the cloud based radiation model.This type of model is simple to use and rely on regressions betweenirradiation, solar altitude angle and the cloud cover. Careful analysis of thecloud distribution reveals certain flaws in the current regressions. Newregressions were formulated and the result was a model superior to all itspredecessors.Clear-sky modelling is important for maximum load calculations; however,there is no method of extracting with accuracy clear-sky broadband data.Clear-sky identification techniques were evaluated and a new method wasdevised. These new datasets were used on four clear-sky models, MRM,Page's Radiation Model, PRM, Yang's radiation model and Gueymard'sREST2 model. It was found that using this new method of extracting extremeclear-sky data, the models performed better than when using quasi-clear-skydata.Solar radiation modelling is not an end by-itself, it must serve a purpose forengineers in their applications. Napier University has installed a 160m2photovoltaic facility in 2003. A 27 -year solar radiation dataset was availablefor Edinburgh, to do feasibility calculations for the project; however thisdataset contained gaps in the data. The cloud radiation model developed inthis study was utilised to this end. In addition a complete life cycle analysiswas performed on the project, and it was found that with an average efficiencyat around 12%, the facility will payback its embodied energy in eight years,and based on a relatively conservative forecast of energy prices, the financialpayback is set at under 100 years

Fraser of Allander Institute : Economic Commentary [November 2010]

The Scottish and UK economies strengthened appreciably in their recovery from recession in the 2nd quarter of this year. Preliminary UK dat a for the 3rd quarter indicates some weakening but at 0.8% over the quarter growth exceeded expectations. Scottish GDP growth fell again in the first quarter, by -0.2%, and with zero growth in 2009q3 and 0.1% growth in the final quarter of 2009, there is a case for arguing that the Scottish economy did not emerge from recession until the 2010q2, two quarters after the UK. The Scottish economy went into recession one quarter later than the UK. The fall in Scottish GDP during the 'recession' to 2010q1 was therefore -5. 81% compared to a fall of -6.32% during the recession in the UK, still less severe than the UK. But with growth of 1.3% in the 2010q2, compared to 1.2% in the UK, the Scottish bounce back was considerable. However, there is reason to believe that an unsustainable bounce back in construction and re-stocking were key reasons for the strength of the recovery in the second quarter which would tend to fade away in later quarters. The 0.8% preliminary estimate of UK 3rd quarter growth in part appeared to contradict that assumption, but construction growth remained strong to the incredulity of many associated with the industry. We still await further data to ascertain the spending composition of the 3rd quarter UK growth rate and whether temporary re-stocking was still a principal driver, or whether there had been a pick-up in more sustainable export and investment growth

An Exploration of Leadership Practices in Scotland’s Contact Centre Industry

The aim of this research was to explore the leadership practices implemented in Scotland’s contact centre industry in order to identify the leadership theories adopted in the customer-focused, highly controlled, and standardised environment of contact centres.The study involved a non-probability purposive sample of forty participants, including managers and agents working at operational level in six contact centres. Following an Interpretivist/Constructivist paradigm, the participants’ perceptions and lived experiences were analysed and interpreted in order to gain an understanding of leadership in their working environment and thus build an overall view of the reality explored (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Schwandt, 2000). Considering the exploratory nature of the study and the aim of achieving an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under investigation, this research followed a qualitative methodology and used semi-structured interviews (with managers) and focus groups (with agents) complemented with non-participant observation as data collection methods (Kerwin-Boudreau & Butler-Kisber, 2016; Saldaña, 2011). The data were examined by means of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009).The outcome of the study supported the view that managers tended to implement Transformational Leadership (Bass, 1985; Burns, 1978) since its characteristics were more closely aligned to the agents’ perceptions of a leader, especially with regards to nurturing relationships based on support, trust, and respect, thus also evoking the Leader-Member Exchange theory (Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, 1975; Graen & Scandura 1987). In addition, most individual leadership practice (i.e., sole leaders) co-existed with Distributed Leadership (Gronn, 2000, 2002b), which was implemented to differing degrees as a collective leadership practice. The combination of both leadership practices in contact centres, which was mainly intended to promote staff development, provided evidence of Hybrid Leadership configurations (Gronn, 2008, 2009b) found in a context different from education and healthcare.As a main theoretical contribution, this study has extended the overall notion of leadership by Northouse’s (2015) adopted in this research and has identified themain leadership theories implemented in Scotland’s contact centres. As a practical contribution, this study has expanded the purposes of Hybrid Leadership (Gronn, 2008, 2009b) in a contact centre environment, increasing likewise the knowledge on the practical application of that particular theory