A Component-based Software Infrastructure for Ubiquitous Computing

(c) IEEE - The original publication is available at http://www.ieee.orgInternational audienceMultiplication of mobile devices and generalized use of wireless networks imply changes on the design and execution of distributed software applications targeting ubiquitous computing. Many strong requirements have to be addressed: heterogeneity and limited resources of wireless networks and mobile devices, networked communications between distributed applications, dynamic discovery and automatic deployment on mobile devices. In this paper, we present a component-based software infrastructure to design, discover, deploy, and execute ubiquitous contextual services, i.e. distributed applications providing services to mobile end-users but only available from a particular place. These ubiquitous contextual services are designed as assemblies of distributed software components. These assemblies are dynamically discovered according to end-users' physical location and device capabilities. Then, appropriate assemblies are automatically deployed on users' devices. We have implemented this approach (the software infrastructure and a ubiquitous application example) on top of the OMG CORBA Component Model and the OpenCCM open source platform

A Component-based Software Infrastructure for Ubiquitous Computing

(c) IEEE - The original publication is available at http://www.ieee.orgInternational audienceMultiplication of mobile devices and generalized use of wireless networks imply changes on the design and execution of distributed software applications targeting ubiquitous computing. Many strong requirements have to be addressed: heterogeneity and limited resources of wireless networks and mobile devices, networked communications between distributed applications, dynamic discovery and automatic deployment on mobile devices. In this paper, we present a component-based software infrastructure to design, discover, deploy, and execute ubiquitous contextual services, i.e. distributed applications providing services to mobile end-users but only available from a particular place. These ubiquitous contextual services are designed as assemblies of distributed software components. These assemblies are dynamically discovered according to end-users' physical location and device capabilities. Then, appropriate assemblies are automatically deployed on users' devices. We have implemented this approach (the software infrastructure and a ubiquitous application example) on top of the OMG CORBA Component Model and the OpenCCM open source platform

A service discovery and automatic deployment component-based software infrastructure for Ubiquitous Computing

International audienceSoftware applications running on mobile devices are more and more needed. These applications have strong requirements to address: device heterogeneity, limited resources, networked communications, and security. Moreover it is required to have appropriate application design, discovery, deployment, and execution paradigms. These requirements are similar to those of any ubiquitous computing application. In this paper, we present a component-based software infrastructure to design, discover, deploy, and execute ubiquitous computing contextual applications. Applications are designed as assemblies of distributed software components. These assemblies are dynamically discovered according to end-users' physical location and device capabilities. Then appropriate assemblies are automatically deployed on users' devices. Ubiquitous contextual services and our software infrastructure are built on top of the OMG's CORBA Component Model (CCM) and are implemented using the OpenCCM platform. As illustration, a service to get information about departure trains is described in detail

Applying Dynamic Integration as a Software Infrastructure for Context-Aware Computing

Much of the software engineering literature examines techniques and practices that help us to build systems that we have been building for many years already. While there is merit in seeking ways to raise the floor of software engineering practice, we also have an obligation to research software design issues that push the envelope of existing computing technology. One of the features of future interactive computing environments is that they will provide context-aware services that leverage off of knowledge of a person's physical state and surrounding environment. With the proliferation of network-based computing services that are a characteristic of an emerging ubiquitous computing society, there is a real issue with providing a software infrastructure that will support context-aware services. In this paper, we examine software engineering work on component integration and introduce a prototype infrastructure that provides a dynamic and scalable context-aware computing environment. We will describe how we have applied this component infrastructure to build a futuristic personal information management system involving automatic cooperation between desktop, network and mobile services

A general purpose programming framework for ubiquitous computing environments

It is important to note that the need to support ad-hoc and potentially mobile arrangements of devices in ubiquitous environments does not fit well within the traditional client/server architecture. We believe peer-to-peer communication offers a preferable alternative due to its decentralised nature, removing dependence on individual nodes. However, this choice adds to the complexity of the developers task. In this paper, we describe a two-tiered approach to address this problem: A lower tier employing peer-to-peer interactions for managing the network infrastructure and an upper tier providing a mobile agent based programming framework. The result is a general purpose framework for developing ubiquitous applications and services, where the underlying complexity is hidden from the developer. This paper discusses our on-going work; presenting our design decisions, features supported by our framework, and some of the challenges still to be addressed in a complex programming environment

Aspects of Assembly and Cascaded Aspects of Assembly: Logical and Temporal Properties

Highly dynamic computing environments, like ubiquitous and pervasive computing environments, require frequent adaptation of applications. This has to be done in a timely fashion, and the adaptation process must be as fast as possible and mastered. Moreover the adaptation process has to ensure a consistent result when finished whereas adaptations to be implemented cannot be anticipated at design time. In this paper we present our mechanism for self-adaptation based on the aspect oriented programming paradigm called Aspect of Assembly (AAs). Using AAs: (1) the adaptations process is fast and its duration is mastered; (2) adaptations' entities are independent of each other thanks to the weaver logical merging mechanism; and (3) the high variability of the software infrastructure can be managed using a mono or multi-cycle weaving approach.Comment: 14 pages, published in International Journal of Computer Science, Volume 8, issue 4, Jul 2011, ISSN 1694-081

Context-aware Authorization in Highly Dynamic Environments

Highly dynamic computing environments, like ubiquitous and pervasive computing environments, require frequent adaptation of applications. Context is a key to adapt suiting user needs. On the other hand, standard access control trusts users once they have authenticated, despite the fact that they may reach unauthorized contexts. We analyse how taking into account dynamic information like context in the authorization subsystem can improve security, and how this new access control applies to interaction patterns, like messaging or eventing. We experiment and validate our approach using context as an authorization factor for eventing in Web service for device (like UPnP or DPWS), in smart home security

Quality assessment technique for ubiquitous software and middleware

The new paradigm of computing or information systems is ubiquitous computing systems. The technology-oriented issues of ubiquitous computing systems have made researchers pay much attention to the feasibility study of the technologies rather than building quality assurance indices or guidelines. In this context, measuring quality is the key to developing high-quality ubiquitous computing products. For this reason, various quality models have been defined, adopted and enhanced over the years, for example, the need for one recognised standard quality model (ISO/IEC 9126) is the result of a consensus for a software quality model on three levels: characteristics, sub-characteristics, and metrics. However, it is very much unlikely that this scheme will be directly applicable to ubiquitous computing environments which are considerably different to conventional software, trailing a big concern which is being given to reformulate existing methods, and especially to elaborate new assessment techniques for ubiquitous computing environments. This paper selects appropriate quality characteristics for the ubiquitous computing environment, which can be used as the quality target for both ubiquitous computing product evaluation processes ad development processes. Further, each of the quality characteristics has been expanded with evaluation questions and metrics, in some cases with measures. In addition, this quality model has been applied to the industrial setting of the ubiquitous computing environment. These have revealed that while the approach was sound, there are some parts to be more developed in the future

An eco-friendly hybrid urban computing network combining community-based wireless LAN access and wireless sensor networking

Computer-enhanced smart environments, distributed environmental monitoring, wireless communication, energy conservation and sustainable technologies, ubiquitous access to Internet-located data and services, user mobility and innovation as a tool for service differentiation are all significant contemporary research subjects and societal developments. This position paper presents the design of a hybrid municipal network infrastructure that, to a lesser or greater degree, incorporates aspects from each of these topics by integrating a community-based Wi-Fi access network with Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) functionality. The former component provides free wireless Internet connectivity by harvesting the Internet subscriptions of city inhabitants. To minimize session interruptions for mobile clients, this subsystem incorporates technology that achieves (near-)seamless handover between Wi-Fi access points. The WSN component on the other hand renders it feasible to sense physical properties and to realize the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This in turn scaffolds the development of value-added end-user applications that are consumable through the community-powered access network. The WSN subsystem invests substantially in ecological considerations by means of a green distributed reasoning framework and sensor middleware that collaboratively aim to minimize the network's global energy consumption. Via the discussion of two illustrative applications that are currently being developed as part of a concrete smart city deployment, we offer a taste of the myriad of innovative digital services in an extensive spectrum of application domains that is unlocked by the proposed platform