XSRL: An XML web-services request language

One of the most serious challenges that web-service enabled e-marketplaces face is the lack of formal support for expressing service requests against UDDI-resident web-services in order to solve a complex business problem. In this paper we present a web-service request language (XSRL) developed on the basis of AI planning and the XML database query language XQuery. This framework is designed to handle and execute XSRL requests and is capable of performing planning actions under uncertainty on the basis of refinement and revision as new service-related information is accumulated (via interaction with the user or UDDI) and as execution circumstances necessitate change

Scala Server Faces

Progress in the Java language has been slow over the last few years. Scala is emerging as one of the probable successors for Java with features such as type inference, higher order functions, closure support and sequence comprehensions. This allows object-oriented yet concise code to be written using Scala. While Java based MVC frameworks are still prevalent, Scala based frameworks along with Ruby on Rails, Django and PHP are emerging as competitors. Scala has a web framework called Lift which has made an attempt to borrow the advantages of other frameworks while keeping code concise. Since Sun’s MVC framework, Java Server Faces 2.0 and its future versions seem to be heading in a reasonably progressive direction; I have developed a framework which attempts to overcome its limitations. I call such a framework ―Scala Server Faces‖. This framework provides a way of writing Java EE applications in Scala yet borrow from the concept of ―convention over configuration‖ followed by rival web frameworks. Again, an Eclipse tool is provided to make the programmer\u27s task of writing code on the popular Eclipse platform. Scala Server Faces, the framework and the tool allows the programmer to write enterprise web applications in Scala by providing features such as templating support, CRUD screen generation for database model objects, an Ant script to help deployment and integration with the Glassfish Application Server

Deliverable JRA1.1: Evaluation of current network control and management planes for multi-domain network infrastructure

This deliverable includes a compilation and evaluation of available control and management architectures and protocols applicable to a multilayer infrastructure in a multi-domain Virtual Network environment.The scope of this deliverable is mainly focused on the virtualisation of the resources within a network and at processing nodes. The virtualization of the FEDERICA infrastructure allows the provisioning of its available resources to users by means of FEDERICA slices. A slice is seen by the user as a real physical network under his/her domain, however it maps to a logical partition (a virtual instance) of the physical FEDERICA resources. A slice is built to exhibit to the highest degree all the principles applicable to a physical network (isolation, reproducibility, manageability, ...). Currently, there are no standard definitions available for network virtualization or its associated architectures. Therefore, this deliverable proposes the Virtual Network layer architecture and evaluates a set of Management- and Control Planes that can be used for the partitioning and virtualization of the FEDERICA network resources. This evaluation has been performed taking into account an initial set of FEDERICA requirements; a possible extension of the selected tools will be evaluated in future deliverables. The studies described in this deliverable define the virtual architecture of the FEDERICA infrastructure. During this activity, the need has been recognised to establish a new set of basic definitions (taxonomy) for the building blocks that compose the so-called slice, i.e. the virtual network instantiation (which is virtual with regard to the abstracted view made of the building blocks of the FEDERICA infrastructure) and its architectural plane representation. These definitions will be established as a common nomenclature for the FEDERICA project. Other important aspects when defining a new architecture are the user requirements. It is crucial that the resulting architecture fits the demands that users may have. Since this deliverable has been produced at the same time as the contact process with users, made by the project activities related to the Use Case definitions, JRA1 has proposed a set of basic Use Cases to be considered as starting point for its internal studies. When researchers want to experiment with their developments, they need not only network resources on their slices, but also a slice of the processing resources. These processing slice resources are understood as virtual machine instances that users can use to make them behave as software routers or end nodes, on which to download the software protocols or applications they have produced and want to assess in a realistic environment. Hence, this deliverable also studies the APIs of several virtual machine management software products in order to identify which best suits FEDERICA’s needs.Postprint (published version

Integration and verification of parameterized register interfaces

Abstract. This thesis takes an in-depth look on parameterized register models, their generation and use. The aim is to discover improvements to the current method of generating parameterized register models. The thesis is divided into two halves: a practical section that consists of a study on the generation of parameterized register models, and a theory section that supports the topics gone over in the practical section. The practical section studied the generation flow and tools currently used at Nordic Semiconductor. The flow was analyzed to discover changes that would enable the generation of more flexible parameterized register models. The suggested changes were then used to generate a dynamic register model for a highly configurable intellectual property (IP) core. The register model was validated using a register test sequence and functional tests. Finally, the functionality of the generated register model was compared to a manually implemented model. In the end, the test sequences and functional tests passed without errors. The generated register model could be configured directly from the testbench without editing the model manually. This also meant that the applied configurations would not be lost even if the register model were to be regenerated. The resulting register model was significantly more flexible than the previous generated models.Parametrisoitujen rekisterirajapintojen integrointi ja verifiointi. Tiivistelmä. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tutustutaan parametrisoituihin rekisterimalleihin, niiden generointiin, ja niiden käyttöön. Tavoitteena on löytää parannuksia nykyiseen parametrisoitujen rekisterimallien generointitapaan. Opinnäytetyö on jaettu kahteen puoliskoon: käytännön osuuteen, joka koostuu parametrisoitujen rekisterimallien tutkimuksesta, ja teoreettisesta osuudesta, joka tukee käytännön osuudessa käsiteltyjä aiheita. Käytännön osuus tutki Nordic Semiconductorilla tällä hetkellä rekisterimallin generointiin käytettyjä prosesseja ja työkaluja. Niitä analysoimalla pyrittiin löytämään muutoksia, joiden avulla voisi generoida joustavampia parametrisoituja rekisterimalleja. Kyseisten muutosten avulla generoitiin sitten dynaaminen rekisterimalli IP lohkolle, joka sisältää paljon konfiguroitavia parametrejä. Generoitu malli varmennettiin rekisterien testisekvenssillä ja toiminnallisilla testeillä. Lopuksi rekisterimallin toiminnallisuutta verrattiin käsin kirjoitetun rekisterimallin toiminnallisuuteen. Testisekvenssi ja toiminnalliset testit läpäistiin simuloinnissa lopulta ilman virheitä. Generoitu rekisterimalli oli konfiguroitavissa suoraan testipenkistä, eikä sitä tarvinnut muokata manuaalisesti. Tämä tarkoitti myös sitä, että testipenkissä asetettuja konfiguraatioita ei menetetä, jos rekisterimalli generoidaan uudelleen. Lopullinen rekisterimalli oli merkittävästi joustavampi kuin aikaisemmat generoidut mallit

RAFDA: A Policy-Aware Middleware Supporting the Flexible Separation of Application Logic from Distribution

Middleware technologies often limit the way in which object classes may be used in distributed applications due to the fixed distribution policies that they impose. These policies permeate applications developed using existing middleware systems and force an unnatural encoding of application level semantics. For example, the application programmer has no direct control over inter-address-space parameter passing semantics. Semantics are fixed by the distribution topology of the application, which is dictated early in the design cycle. This creates applications that are brittle with respect to changes in distribution. This paper explores technology that provides control over the extent to which inter-address-space communication is exposed to programmers, in order to aid the creation, maintenance and evolution of distributed applications. The described system permits arbitrary objects in an application to be dynamically exposed for remote access, allowing applications to be written without concern for distribution. Programmers can conceal or expose the distributed nature of applications as required, permitting object placement and distribution boundaries to be decided late in the design cycle and even dynamically. Inter-address-space parameter passing semantics may also be decided independently of object implementation and at varying times in the design cycle, again possibly as late as run-time. Furthermore, transmission policy may be defined on a per-class, per-method or per-parameter basis, maximizing plasticity. This flexibility is of utility in the development of new distributed applications, and the creation of management and monitoring infrastructures for existing applications.Comment: Submitted to EuroSys 200

A structured model metametadata technique to enhance semantic searching in metadata repository

This paper discusses on a novel technique for semantic searching and retrieval of information about learning materials. A novel structured metametadata model has been created to provide the foundation for a semantic search engine to extract, match and map queries to retrieve relevant results. Metametadata encapsulate metadata instances by using the properties and attributes provided by ontologies rather than describing learning objects. The use of ontological views assists the pedagogical content of metadata extracted from learning objects by using the control vocabularies as identified from the metametadata taxonomy. The use of metametadata (based on the metametadata taxonomy) supported by the ontologies have contributed towards a novel semantic searching mechanism. This research has presented a metametadata model for identifying semantics and describing learning objects in finer-grain detail that allows for intelligent and smart retrieval by automated search and retrieval software

Automatic instantiation of abstract tests on specific configurations for large critical control systems

Computer-based control systems have grown in size, complexity, distribution and criticality. In this paper a methodology is presented to perform an abstract testing of such large control systems in an efficient way: an abstract test is specified directly from system functional requirements and has to be instantiated in more test runs to cover a specific configuration, comprising any number of control entities (sensors, actuators and logic processes). Such a process is usually performed by hand for each installation of the control system, requiring a considerable time effort and being an error prone verification activity. To automate a safe passage from abstract tests, related to the so called generic software application, to any specific installation, an algorithm is provided, starting from a reference architecture and a state-based behavioural model of the control software. The presented approach has been applied to a railway interlocking system, demonstrating its feasibility and effectiveness in several years of testing experience