Unifying Distributed Processing and Open Hypertext through a Heterogeneous Communication Model

A successful distributed open hypermedia system can be characterised by a scaleable architecture which is inherently distributed. While the architects of distributed hypermedia systems have addressed the issues of providing and retrieving distributed resources, they have often neglected to design systems with the inherent capability to exploit the distributed processing of this information. The research presented in this paper describes the construction and use of an open hypermedia system concerned equally with both of these facets

An active, ontology-driven network service for Internet collaboration

Web portals have emerged as an important means of collaboration on the WWW, and the integration of ontologies promises to make them more accurate in how they serve users’ collaboration and information location requirements. However, web portals are essentially a centralised architecture resulting in difficulties supporting seamless roaming between portals and collaboration between groups supported on different portals. This paper proposes an alternative approach to collaboration over the web using ontologies that is de-centralised and exploits content-based networking. We argue that this approach promises a user-centric, timely, secure and location-independent mechanism, which is potentially more scaleable and universal than existing centralised portals

An Open Framework for Integrating Widely Distributed Hypermedia Resources

The success of the WWW has served as an illustration of how hypermedia functionality can enhance access to large amounts of distributed information. However, the WWW and many other distributed hypermedia systems offer very simple forms of hypermedia functionality which are not easily applied to existing applications and data formats, and cannot easily incorporate alternative functions which would aid hypermedia navigation to and from existing documents that have not been developed with hypermedia access in mind. This paper describes the extension to a distributed environment of the open hypermedia functionality of the Microcosm system, which is designed to support the provision of hypermedia access to a wide range of source material and application, and to offer straightforward extension of the system to incorporate new forms of information access

Peer-to-Peer Secure Updates for Heterogeneous Edge Devices

We consider the problem of securely distributing software updates to large scale clusters of heterogeneous edge compute nodes. Such nodes are needed to support the Internet of Things and low-latency edge compute scenarios, but are difficult to manage and update because they exist at the edge of the network behind NATs and firewalls that limit connectivity, or because they are mobile and have intermittent network access. We present a prototype secure update architecture for these devices that uses the combination of peer-to-peer protocols and automated NAT traversal techniques. This demonstrates that edge devices can be managed in an environment subject to partial or intermittent network connectivity, where there is not necessarily direct access from a management node to the devices being updated

Migration from client/server architecture to internet computing architecture

The Internet Computing Architecture helps in providing a object-based infrastructure that can be used by the application developers to design, develop, and deploy the ntiered enterprise applications and services. For years of distributed application development, the Internet Computing Architecture has helped in providing various techniques and infrastructure software for the successful deployment of various systems, and established a foundation for the promotion of re-use and component oriented development. Object-oriented analysis is at the beginning of this architecture, which is carried through deploying and managing of finished systems. This architecture is multi-platform, multi-lingual, standards-based, and open that offers unparalleled integration capability. And for the development of mission critical systems in record time it has allowed for the reuse of the infrastructure components. This paper provides a detailed overview of the Internet Computing Architecture and the way it is applied to designing systems which can range from simple two-tier applications to n-tier Web/Object enterprise systems. Even for the best software developers and managers it is very hard to sort through alternative solutions in today\u27s business application development challenges. The problems with the potential solutions were not that complex now that the web has provided the medium for large-scale distributed computing. To implement an infrastructure for the support of applications architecture and to foster the component-oriented development and reuse is an extraordinary challenge. Further, to scale the needs of large enterprises and the Web/Internet the advancement in the multi-tiered middleware software have made the development of object-oriented systems more difficult. The Internet Computing Architecture defines a scaleable architecture, which can provide the necessary software components, which forms the basis of the solid middleware foundation and can address the different application types. For the software development process to be component-oriented the design and development methodologies are interwoven. The biggest advantage of the Internet Computing Architecture is that developers can design object application servers that can simultaneously support two- and three-tier Client/Server and Object/Web applications. This kind of flexibility allows different business objects to be reused by a large number of applications that not only supports a wide range of application architectures but also offers the flexibility in infrastructure for the integration of data sources. The server-based business objects are managed by runtime services with full support for application to be partitioned in a transactional-secure distributed environment. So for the environments that a supports high transaction volumes and a large number of users this offers a high scaleable solution. The integration of the distributed object technology with protocols of the World Wide Web is Internet Computing Architecture. Alternate means of communication between a browser on client machine and server machines are provided by various web protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol and Internet Inter-ORB Protocol [NOP]. Protocols like TCP/IP also provides the addressing protocols and packetoriented transport for the Internet and Intranet communications. The recent advancements in the field of networking and worldwide web technology has promoted a new network-centric computing structure. World Wide Web evolves the global economy infrastructure both on the public and corporate Internet\u27s. The competition is growing between technologies to provide the infrastructure for distributed large-scale applications. These technologies emerge from academia, standard activities and individual vendors. Internet Computing Architecture is a comprehensive, open, Network-based architecture that provides extensibility for the design of distributed environments. Internet Computing Architecture also provides a clear understanding to integrate client/server computing with distributed object architectures and the Internet. This technology also creates the opportunity for a new emerging class of extremely powerful operational, collaboration, decision support, and e-commerce solutions which will catalyze the growth of a new networked economy based on intrabusiness, business -to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) electronic transactions. These network solutions would be able to incorporate legacy mainframe systems, emerging applications as well as existing client/server environment, where still most of the world\u27s mission-critical applications run. Internet Computing Architecture is the industry\u27s only cross-platform infrastructure to develop and deploy network-centric, object-based, end-to-end applications across the network. Open and de facto standards are at the core of the Internet computing architecture such as: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)/ Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML)/ Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). It has recognition, as the industry\u27s most advanced and practical technology solution for the implementation of a distributed object environment, including Interface Definition Language (IDL) for languageneutral interfaces and Internet Inter Operability (MOP) for object interoperability. Programming languages such as JAVA provides programmable, extensible and portable solutions throughout the Internet Computing Architecture. Internet Computing Architecture not only provides support, but also enhances ActiveX/Component Object Model (COM) clients through open COM/CORBA interoperability specifications. For distributed object-programming Java has also emerged as the de facto standard within the Internet/Intranet arena, making Java ideally suited to the distributed object nature of the Internet Computing Architecture. The portability that it offers across multi-tiers and platforms support open standards and makes it an excellent choice for cartridge development across all tiers

Establishment of Kerala Agricultural University Campus Wide Information System and Network: Feasibility Report

A Feasibility Report prepared by Centre for Agricultural Informatics in 1995 on establishing a Campus Network for Kerala Agricultural University’s (KAU) main campus (at Vellanikkara, Thrissur) and a state-of-the art Electronic Data Complex in its University Library premises. For the dissemination of topical awareness and global information to those in agricultural sector of the State, KAU needs to build a Campus LAN and state-of-the art Agricultural Digital Library and Data Complex within its central library. This can become a show case of the electronic age in agriculture and allied disciplines and will promote, propagate and catalogue the agricultural economy that India is so dependent on. The data complex will be a cached repository of agricultural information available worldwide, besides acting as a data silo for research forums, concurrent research, electronic publishing and global bulletin boards. The scattered campuses of KAU and allied institutions also need to be linked through electronic bridges that enable spontaneous exchange of information between the agricultural Diaspora of students, faculties, researchers, extension workers and administrators. The report covers mandate of the proposed system, detailed discussion on computer and communication stack that KAU Campus Wide Information System and Network needs, the architecture prescription, network design, MultiStack and DEChub 900 options available, host environment, financial terms, implementation methodology, installation support continuum, network synthesis and integration, systems engineering support, time frames and the administrative arrangements required. Open Network, with Protocol Switching and Networked Systems Management based on Digital's enVISN Networking Architecture and Enterprise Management Solutions is recommended. Detailed Technical literature and specifications of each and every item of computer and communication stack and solution recommended is appended to the report. Even though the report was prepared in 1995 it can be of interest for critical studies on history of ICT development in India especially in agricultural sector and for comparison of quality of systems and recommendations of a specific time in the past

Development of a COTS-Based Computing Environment Blueprint Application at KSC

This paper describes a blueprint that can be used for developing a distributed computing environment (DCE) for NASA in general, and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in particular. A comprehensive, open, secure, integrated, and multi-vendor DCE such as OSF DCE has been suggested. Design issues, as well as recommendations for each component have been given. Where necessary, modifications were suggested to fit the needs of KSC. This was done in the areas of security and directory services. Readers requiring a more comprehensive coverage are encouraged to refer to the eight-chapter document prepared for this work

Net:Geography Fieldwork Frequently Asked Questions

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