294 research outputs found
Blockchain-Enabled Federated Learning: A Reference Architecture Design, Implementation, and Verification
This paper presents an innovative reference architecture for
blockchain-enabled federated learning (BCFL), a state-of-the-art approach that
amalgamates the strengths of federated learning and blockchain technology. This
results in a decentralized, collaborative machine learning system that respects
data privacy and user-controlled identity. Our architecture strategically
employs a decentralized identifier (DID)-based authentication system, allowing
participants to authenticate and then gain access to the federated learning
platform securely using their self-sovereign DIDs, which are recorded on the
blockchain. Ensuring robust security and efficient decentralization through the
execution of smart contracts is a key aspect of our approach. Moreover, our
BCFL reference architecture provides significant extensibility, accommodating
the integration of various additional elements, as per specific requirements
and use cases, thereby rendering it an adaptable solution for a wide range of
BCFL applications. Participants can authenticate and then gain access to the
federated learning platform securely using their self-sovereign DIDs, which are
securely recorded on the blockchain. The pivotal contribution of this study is
the successful implementation and validation of a realistic BCFL reference
architecture, marking a significant milestone in the field. We intend to make
the source code publicly accessible shortly, fostering further advancements and
adaptations within the community. This research not only bridges a crucial gap
in the current literature but also lays a solid foundation for future
explorations in the realm of BCFL.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures, 3 table
QoS management and control for an all-IP WiMAX network architecture: Design, implementation and evaluation
The IEEE 802.16 standard provides a specification for a fixed and mobile broadband wireless access system, offering high data rate transmission of multimedia services with different Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements through the air interface. The WiMAX Forum, going beyond the air interface, defined an end-to-end WiMAX network architecture, based on an all-IP platform in order to complete the standards required for a commercial rollout of WiMAX as broadband wireless access solution. As the WiMAX network architecture is only a functional specification, this paper focuses on an innovative solution for an end-to-end WiMAX network architecture offering in compliance with the WiMAX Forum specification. To our best knowledge, this is the first WiMAX architecture built by a research consortium globally and was performed within the framework of the European IST project WEIRD (WiMAX Extension to Isolated Research Data networks). One of the principal features of our architecture is support for end-to-end QoS achieved by the integration of resource control in the WiMAX wireless link and the resource management in the wired domains in the network core. In this paper we present the architectural design of these QoS features in the overall WiMAX all-IP framework and their functional as well as performance evaluation. The presented results can safely be considered as unique and timely for any WiMAX system integrator
MAC and baseband processors for RF-MIMO WLAN
The article describes hardware solutions for the IEEE 802.11 medium access control (MAC) layer and IEEE 802.11a digital baseband in an RF-MIMO WLAN transceiver that performs the signal combining in the analogue domain. Architecture and implementation details of the MAC processor including a hardware accelerator and a 16-bit MACphysical layer (PHY) interface are presented. The proposed hardware solution is tested and verified using a PHY link emulator. Architecture, design, implementation, and test of a reconfigurable digital baseband processor are described too. Description includes the baseband algorithms (the main blocks being MIMO channel estimation and Tx-Rx analogue beamforming), their FPGA-based implementation, baseband printed-circuit-board, and real-time test
Computer-supported cooperative work in tele home care : architecture design, implementation and evaluation
With the development of healthcare service and computer networks, the healthcare providers are focusing on how to implant new technologies into health sections. These instant messaging techniques can lead healthcare service more efficienct than before. It is necessary to design and construct a cooperative work platform for patients and healthcare providers. They are able to communicate with each other, share information or documents and access into health records. This project will concentrate on the system design, implementation and evaluation to achieve a better performance platform. The underlying data repository will encompass distributed system aspects and data warehousing approach to promote the functions of this healthcare system. This platform will be deployed to the tele home care service and in-depth study on the healthcare services. Some of the innovations will be included in system design. The target of this project is to design the architecture of collaborative workspace for healthcare personnel and implement a prototype with useful functions. The evaluation will be conducted to validate the efficiency of proposed distributed database for patient records. In addition, it will be more flexible and less data redundant. Meanwhile, a demo system will be deployed in order to show and define the implemented functions
The essence of component-based design and coordination
Is there a characteristic of coordination languages that makes them
qualitatively different from general programming languages and deserves special
academic attention? This report proposes a nuanced answer in three parts. The
first part highlights that coordination languages are the means by which
composite software applications can be specified using components that are only
available separately, or later in time, via standard interfacing mechanisms.
The second part highlights that most currently used languages provide
mechanisms to use externally provided components, and thus exhibit some
elements of coordination. However not all do, and the availability of an
external interface thus forms an objective and qualitative criterion that
distinguishes coordination. The third part argues that despite the qualitative
difference, the segregation of academic attention away from general language
design and implementation has non-obvious cost trade-offs.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 3 table
Debugging Scandal: The Next Generation
In 1997, the general lack of debugging tools was termed "the debugging scandal". Today, as new languages are emerging to support software evolution, once more debugging support is lagging. The powerful abstractions offered by new languages are compiled away and transformed into complex synthetic structures. Current debugging tools only allow inspection in terms of this complex synthetic structure; they do not support observation of program executions in terms of the original development abstractions. In this position paper, we outline this problem and present two emerging lines of research that ease the burden for debugger implementers and enable developers to debug in terms of development abstractions. For both approaches we identify language-independent debugger components and those that must be implemented for every new language. One approach restores the abstractions by a tool external to the program. The other maintains the abstractions by using a dedicated execution environment, supporting the relevant abstractions. Both approaches have the potential of improving debugging support for new languages. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, outline a combination thereof and also discuss open challenges
Prototyping Incentive-based Resource Assignment for Clouds in Community Networks
Wireless community networks are a successful example of a collective where communities operate ICT infrastructure and provide IP connectivity based on the principle of reciprocal resource sharing of network bandwidth. This sharing, however, has not extended to computing and storage resources, resulting in very few applications and services which are currently deployed within community networks. Cloud computing, as in today's Internet, has made it common to consume resources provided by public clouds providers, but such cloud infrastructures have not materialized within community networks. We analyse in this paper socio-technical characteristics of community networks in order to derive scenarios for community clouds. Based on an architecture for such a community cloud, we implement a prototype for the incentive-driven resource assignment component, deploy it in a testbed of community network nodes, and evaluate its behaviour experimentally. Our evaluation gives insight into how the deployed prototype components regulate the consumption of cloud resources taking into account the users' contributions, and how this regulation affects the system usage. Our results suggest a further integration of this regulation component into current cloud management platforms in order to open them up for the operation of an ecosystem of community cloud
First steps towards solving the café problem
Hearing loss, and assistive technologies to compensate for the loss, are becoming more and more regular. Hearing aids have improved the quality of life for many suffering from hearing loss but are still insufficient in some social settings. The café problem rises when there are a group of people talking in a relatively noisy environment where one person has hearing aids. Even with modern advancements, such as speech recognition and noise cancellation, people using hearing aids have difficulties differentiating the group's conversation from other noises.
This thesis will provide the architecture, design, implementation and evaluation of a mobile application as a first step in creating a system that can counter this café problem. A critical factor in a system like this is to reduce the audio latency to a minimum. We investigate where latency is introduced in the system by creating an experimental setup and evaluating the system.
We implement a prototype system and use the experimental setup to identify latency-inducing components. We discuss how this latency can be reduced and bring forward future steps that must be made in completing the system
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