Constructing runtime models with bigraphs to address ubiquitous computing service composition volatility

In this thesis, we explore the appropriateness of the language abstractions provided by Bigraphs to construct a model at runtime to tackle the problem of volatility in a service composition running on a mobile device. Our contributions to knowledge are as follows: 1) We have shown that Bigraphs (Milner, 2009) are suitable for expressing models at runtime. 2) We have offered Bigraph language abstractions as an appropriate solution to some of the research problems posed by the models at runtime community (Aßmann et al., 2012). 3) We have discussed the general lessons learnt from using Bigraphs for a practical application such as a model at runtime. 4) We have discussed the general lessons learnt from our experiences of designing models at runtime. 5) We have implemented the model at runtime using the BPL Tool (ITU, 2011) and have experimentally studied the response times of our Bigraphical model. We have suggested appropriate enhancements for the tool based on our experiences. We present techniques to parameterize the reaction rules so that the matching algorithm of the BPL Tool returns a single match giving us the ability to dynamically program the model at runtime. We also show how to query the Bigraph structure

Un Framework Basé Bigraphes pour la Conception et l'Analyse des Systèmes Sensibles au Contexte

Today, modern technologies have become a part of our daily life. Whether to be informed, entertained, or even to communicate with friends, ubiquitous computing offers numerous opportunities. For this to become reality, computer systems must be able to observe the environment and to adapt their behaviour according to the users expectations and needs. This is called context-awareness. Indeed, the literature shows that context-awareness is the focal point of ubiquitous computing. However, due to heterogeneity and dynamicity of context information, taking it into account requires establishing a model to represent these information at a high-level of abstraction.In this thesis, we propose a model called BigCAS (Bigraphical Context-Aware System) that supports the design of context-aware systems. To achieve this goal, BigCAS is based on formal specifications, derived from bigraphical reactive systems, for modelling structural and behavioural aspects of context aware systems. It provides a clear separation between the context-aware part and the context-unaware part of these systems. Each part is modelled separately as a distinct bigraph, where the composition of these bigraphs models the general structure of the system, particularly, its components interactions and their side effects. Moreover, BigCAS considers not only structural aspects, but also the different reconfigurations involved in the behaviour of context aware systems.We also propose an extension to BigCAS, named BigCAS-FA (Bigraphical Context-Aware System - Formal Analysis), that provides formal verification of safety and liveness properties of context aware systems. Furthermore, BigCAS-FA provides contract-based strategies to guide the dynamic reconfiguration according to the context.To validate our proposals, we develop a prototype, BigCAS-Tool (Bigraphical Context Aware System - Tool), devoted to the specification and verification of context-aware systems. The proposed prototype is illustrated with a case study of a smart lighting system.Aujourd'hui, les nouvelles technologies font partie de notre vie quotidienne. Qu'il s'agisse de s'informer, de se divertir, ou même de communiquer avec ses amis, les possibilités qu'offre l'informatique ubiquitaire sont innombrables.Pour que ces possibilités puissent devenir une réalité, les systèmes informatiques doivent alors se doter d'une capacité d'observation de leur environnement et de s'adapter en fonction des attentes et des besoins des utilisateurs. C'est ce qu'on appelle la sensibilité au contexte. En effet, la littérature montre que la sensibilité au contexte est le point central de l'informatique ubiquitaire. Cependant, face à l'hétérogénéité et la dynamicité des informations de contexte, sa prise en compte nécessite la mise en place d'un modèle pour décrire ces informations à un haut niveau d'abstraction.Dans ce travail de thèse nous proposons, dans un premier temps, un modèle appelé BigCAS (Bigraphical Contexte-Aware System) qui permet la conception formelle des systèmes sensibles au contexte. Pour accomplir cet objectif, BigCAS repose sur des modèles formelles à base des systèmes réactifs bigraphiques permettant la modélisation des aspects structurels et comportementaux des systèmes sensibles au contexte. Il offre une séparation claire entre la partie sensible au contexte et la partie non-sensible au contexte de ces systèmes. Chacune de ces parties est modélisée séparément par un bigraphe distinct, où la composition de ceux-ci modélise la structure générale du système ainsi que les interactions et les effets de bord entre ses différents composants. Par ailleurs, BigCAS tient compte non seulement des aspects structurels, mais aussi des différentes reconfigurations intervenant dans le comportement des systèmes sensibles au contexte.Nous proposons également une extension du modèle BigCAS, appelée BigCAS-FA (Bigraphical Context-Aware System - Formal Analysis), qui permet la vérification formelle de propriétés de sûreté et de vivacité des systèmes sensibles au contexte. En outre, BigCAS-FA possède des stratégies à base de contrats qui consistent à guider la reconfiguration dynamique en fonction du contexte.Afin de valider nos propositions, nous développons le prototype BigCAS-Tool (Bigraphical Context Aware System - Tool) dédié à la spécification et la vérification des systèmes sensibles au contexte, et nous l'illustrons à travers une étude de cas d'un système d'éclairage intelligent

Knowledge-Based Techniques for Scholarly Data Access: Towards Automatic Curation

Accessing up-to-date and quality scientific literature is a critical preliminary step in any research activity. Identifying relevant scholarly literature for the extents of a given task or application is, however a complex and time consuming activity. Despite the large number of tools developed over the years to support scholars in their literature surveying activity, such as Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic search, and others, the best way to access quality papers remains asking a domain expert who is actively involved in the field and knows research trends and directions. State of the art systems, in fact, either do not allow exploratory search activity, such as identifying the active research directions within a given topic, or do not offer proactive features, such as content recommendation, which are both critical to researchers. To overcome these limitations, we strongly advocate a paradigm shift in the development of scholarly data access tools: moving from traditional information retrieval and filtering tools towards automated agents able to make sense of the textual content of published papers and therefore monitor the state of the art. Building such a system is however a complex task that implies tackling non trivial problems in the fields of Natural Language Processing, Big Data Analysis, User Modelling, and Information Filtering. In this work, we introduce the concept of Automatic Curator System and present its fundamental components.openDottorato di ricerca in InformaticaopenDe Nart, Dari

BioAmbients: an abstraction for biological compartments

AbstractBiomolecular systems, composed of networks of proteins, underlie the major functions of living cells. Compartments are key to the organization of such systems. We have previously developed an abstraction for biomolecular systems using the π-calculus process algebra, which successfully handled their molecular and biochemical aspects, but provided only a limited solution for representing compartments. In this work, we extend this abstraction to handle compartments. We are motivated by the ambient calculus, a process algebra for the specification of process location and movement through computational domains. We present the BioAmbients calculus, which is suitable for representing various aspects of molecular localization and compartmentalization, including the movement of molecules between compartments, the dynamic rearrangement of cellular compartments, and the interaction between molecules in a compartmentalized setting. Guided by the calculus, we adapt the BioSpi simulation system, to provide an extended modular framework for molecular and cellular compartmentalization, and we use it to model and study a complex multi-cellular system

Design Time Methodology for the Formal Modeling and Verification of Smart Environments

Smart Environments (SmE) are intelligent and complex due to smart connectivity and interaction of heterogeneous devices achieved by complicated and sophisticated computing algorithms. Based on their domotic and industrial applications, SmE system may be critical in terms of correctness, reliability, safety, security and other such vital factors. To achieve error-free and requirement-compliant implementation of these systems, it is advisable to enforce a design process that may guarantee these factors by adopting formal models and formal verification techniques at design time. The e-Lite research group at Politecnico di Torino is developing solutions for SmE based on integration of commercially available home automation technologies with an intelligent ecosystem based on a central OSGi-based gateway, and distributed collaboration of intelligent applications, with the help of semantic web technologies and applications. The main goal of my research is to study new methodologies which are used for the modeling and verification of SmE. This goal includes the development of a formal methodology which ensures the reliable implementation of the requirements on SmE, by modeling and verifying each component (users, devices, control algorithms and environment/context) and the interaction among them, especially at various stages in design time, so that all the complexities and ambiguities can be reduced

IDEAS-1997-2021-Final-Programs

This document records the final program for each of the 26 meetings of the International Database and Engineering Application Symposium from 1997 through 2021. These meetings were organized in various locations on three continents. Most of the papers published during these years are in the digital libraries of IEEE(1997-2007) or ACM(2008-2021)

Policy-based approach for context-aware systems

Pervasive (ubiquitous) computing is a new paradigm where the computers are submerged into the background of the everyday life. One important aspect of pervasive systems is context-awareness. Context-aware systems are those that can adapt their behaviours according to the current context. Context-aware applications are being integrated into our everyday activity aspects such as: health care, smart homes and transportations. There exist a wide range of context-aware applications such as: mobile phones, learning systems, smart vehicles. Some context-aware systems are critical since the consequence of failing to identify a given context may be catastrophic. For example, an auto-pilot system is a critical context-aware system; it senses the humidity, clouds, wind speed and accordingly adjusts the altitude, throttle and other parameters. Being a critical context-aware system has to be provably correct. Policy-based approaches has been used in many applications but not in context-aware systems. In this research, we want to discover the anatomy (i.e. architecture, structure and operational behaviour) of policy-based management as applied to context-aware systems, and how policies are managed within such a dynamic system. We propose a novel computational model and its formalisation is presented using the Calculus of Context-aware Ambients (CCA). CCA has been proposed as a suitable mathematical notation to model mobile and context-aware systems. We decided to use CCA due to three reasons: (i) in CCA, mobility and context-awareness are primitive constructs and are treated as first-class citizens; (ii) properties of a system can be formally analysed; (iii) CCA specifications are executable, and thus, leading to rapid prototyping and early validation of the system properties. We, then show how policies can be expressed in CCA. For illustration, the specification of the event-condition-action (ECA) conceptual policy model is modelled in CCA in a natural fashion. We also propose a policy-based architecture for context-aware systems, showing its different components, and how they interact. Furthermore, we give the specification of the policy enforcement mechanism used in our proposed architecture in CCA. To evaluate our approach, a real-world case study of an infostation-based mobile learning (mLearning) system is chosen. This mLearning system is deployed across a university campus to enable mobile users to access mobile services (mServices) represented by course materials (lectures, tests and tutorials) and communication services (intelligent message notification and VoIP). Users can access the mServices through their mobile devices (Hand-set phones, PDAs and laptops) regardless of their device type or location within a university campus. We have specified the mLearning system in CCA (i.e. specification based on policies of the mServices), afterwards, the specification is simulated using the CCA interpreter tool. We have developed an animation tool specially designed for the mLearning system. The animation tool provides graphical representation of the CCA processes. In terms of safety and liveness, some important properties of the mLearning system have been validated as a proof of concept

Paradoxes of interactivity: perspectives for media theory, human-computer interaction, and artistic investigations

Current findings from anthropology, genetics, prehistory, cognitive and neuroscience indicate that human nature is grounded in a co-evolution of tool use, symbolic communication, social interaction and cultural transmission. Digital information technology has recently entered as a new tool in this co-evolution, and will probably have the strongest impact on shaping the human mind in the near future. A common effort from the humanities, the sciences, art and technology is necessary to understand this ongoing co- evolutionary process. Interactivity is a key for understanding the new relationships formed by humans with social robots as well as interactive environments and wearables underlying this process. Of special importance for understanding interactivity are human-computer and human-robot interaction, as well as media theory and New Media Art. "Paradoxes of Interactivity" brings together reflections on "interactivity" from different theoretical perspectives, the interplay of science and art, and recent technological developments for artistic applications, especially in the realm of sound

Paradoxes of Interactivity

Current findings from anthropology, genetics, prehistory, cognitive and neuroscience indicate that human nature is grounded in a co-evolution of tool use, symbolic communication, social interaction and cultural transmission. Digital information technology has recently entered as a new tool in this co-evolution, and will probably have the strongest impact on shaping the human mind in the near future. A common effort from the humanities, the sciences, art and technology is necessary to understand this ongoing co- evolutionary process. Interactivity is a key for understanding the new relationships formed by humans with social robots as well as interactive environments and wearables underlying this process. Of special importance for understanding interactivity are human-computer and human-robot interaction, as well as media theory and New Media Art. »Paradoxes of Interactivity« brings together reflections on »interactivity« from different theoretical perspectives, the interplay of science and art, and recent technological developments for artistic applications, especially in the realm of sound