TEMPOS: QoS Management Middleware for Edge Cloud Computing FaaS in the Internet of Things

Several classes of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) applications, e.g., in the industrial manufacturing domain, call for Quality of Service (QoS) management to guarantee/control performance indicators, even in presence of many sources of "stochastic noise" in real deployment environments, from scarcely available bandwidth in a time window to concurrent usage of virtualized processing resources. This paper proposes a novel IoT-oriented middleware that i) considers and coordinates together different aspects of QoS monitoring, control, and management for different kinds of virtualized resources (from networking to processing) in a holistic way, and ii) specifically targets deployment environments where edge cloud resources are employed to enable the Serverless paradigm in the cloud continuum. The reported experimental results show how it is possible to achieve the desired QoS differentiation by coordinating heterogeneous mechanisms and technologies already available in the market. This demonstrates the feasibility of effective QoS-aware management of virtualized resources in the cloud-to-things continuum when considering a Serverless provisioning scenario, which is completely original in the related literature to the best of our knowledge

Dynamic Shift from Cloud Computing to Industry 4.0: Eco-Friendly Choice or Climate Change Threat

Cloud computing utilizes thousands of Cloud Data Centres (CDC) and fulfils the demand of end-users dynamically using new technologies and paradigms such as Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT). With the emergence of Industry 4.0, the quality of cloud service has increased; however, CDC consumes a large amount of energy and produces a huge quantity of carbon footprint, which is one of the major drivers of climate change. This chapter discusses the impacts of cloud developments on climate and quantifies the carbon footprint of cloud computing in a warming world. Further, the dynamic transition from cloud computing to Industry 4.0 is discussed from an eco-friendly/climate change threat perspective. Finally, open research challenges and opportunities for prospective researchers are explored

A study in grid simulation and scheduling

Grid computing is emerging as an essential tool for large scale analysis and problem solving in scientific and business domains. Whilst the idea of stealing unused processor cycles is as old as the Internet, we are still far from reaching a position where many distributed resources can be seamlessly utilised on demand. One major issue preventing this vision is deciding how to effectively manage the remote resources and how to schedule the tasks amongst these resources. This thesis describes an investigation into Grid computing, specifically the problem of Grid scheduling. This complex problem has many unique features making it particularly difficult to solve and as a result many current Grid systems employ simplistic, inefficient solutions. This work describes the development of a simulation tool, G-Sim, which can be used to test the effectiveness of potential Grid scheduling algorithms under realistic operating conditions. This tool is used to analyse the effectiveness of a simple, novel scheduling technique in numerous scenarios. The results are positive and show that it could be applied to current procedures to enhance performance and decrease the negative effect of resource failure. Finally a conversion between the Grid scheduling problem and the classic computing problem SAT is provided. Such a conversion allows for the possibility of applying sophisticated SAT solving procedures to Grid scheduling providing potentially effective solutions

Collaborative network with SMEs providing a backbone for urban PSS: a model and initial sustainability analysis

iFirst 16 p.International audienceHigh-technology Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have regularly shown their capacities for creating and developing innovative services. However, their reduced size often confines them to vertical applications and limits the possibilities for broader development. Strategies grouping SMEs into collaborative networks are possible but sometimes need a strong leader to ensure credibility. On the other hand, large integrator-operators cannot be proficient in all the necessary domains, particularly when applications move very fast. They very much need the diversity and the dynamics of these SMEs to provide service packages with a common service backbone. Uniting the different actors is a challenge displaying good promises from various perspectives including sustainability. However, it is necessary that the links between the different partners and their corresponding activities be correctly represented in a model to be understood. This article proposes a new model for activities and processes in firms collaborating together in a network. A clearer understanding of the organisation acquired with the model, which is then used to discuss sustainability issues within the network

Distributed multimedia quality: The user perspective

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Distributed multimedia supports a symbiotic infotainment duality, i.e. the ability to transfer information to the user, yet also provide the user with a level of satisfaction. As multimedia is ultimately produced for the education and / or enjoyment of viewers, the user’s-perspective concerning the presentation quality is surely of equal importance as objective Quality of Service (QoS) technical parameters, to defining distributed multimedia quality. In order to extensively measure the user-perspective of multimedia video quality, we introduce an extended model of distributed multimedia quality that segregates quality into three discrete levels: the network-level, the media-level and content-level, using two distinct quality perspectives: the user-perspective and the technical-perspective. Since experimental questionnaires do not provide continuous monitoring of user attention, eye tracking was used in our study in order to provide a better understanding of the role that the human element plays in the reception, analysis and synthesis of multimedia data. Results showed that video content adaptation, results in disparity in user video eye-paths when: i) no single / obvious point of focus exists; or ii) when the point of attention changes dramatically. Accordingly, appropriate technical- and user-perspective parameter adaptation is implemented, for all quality abstractions of our model, i.e. network-level (via simulated delay and jitter), media-level (via a technical- and user-perspective manipulated region-of-interest attentive display) and content-level (via display-type and video clip-type). Our work has shown that user perception of distributed multimedia quality cannot be achieved by means of purely technical-perspective QoS parameter adaptation

Student Behavior Simulation in English Online Education Based on Reinforcement Learning

In class, every student's action is not the same. In this era, most courses are taken online; tracking and identifying students’ behavior is a significant challenge, especially in language classes (English). In this study, Student Behaviors’ Simulation-Based on Reinforcement Learning Framework (SBS–BRLF) has been proposed to track and identify students’ online class behavior. The simulation model is generated with various trained sets of behavior that are categorized as positive and negative with Reinforcement Learning (RL). Reinforcement learning (RL) is a field of machine learning dealing with how intelligent agents act in an environment for cumulative rewards. With a web camera and microphone, the students are tracked in the simulation model, and collected data is executed with RL’s aid. If the action is assessed as good, the pupil is praised, or given a warning three times, and then, if repeated, suspended for a day. Hence, the pupil is monitored easily without complications. The research and comparative analysis of the proposed and the current framework have proved that SBSBRLF works efficiently and accurately with the behavioral rate of 93.2%, the performance rate of 96%, supervision rate of 92%, reliability rate of 89.7 % for students, and a higher action and reward acceptance rate of 89.9 %

Mobile Ad hoc Networking: Imperatives and Challenges

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) represent complex distributed systems that comprise wireless mobile nodes that can freely and dynamically self-organize into arbitrary and temporary, "ad-hoc" network topologies, allowing people and devices to seamlessly internetwork in areas with no pre-existing communication infrastructure, e.g., disaster recovery environments. Ad hoc networking concept is not a new one, having been around in various forms for over 20 years. Traditionally, tactical networks have been the only communication networking application that followed the ad hoc paradigm. Recently, the introduction of new technologies such as the Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11 and Hyperlan are helping enable eventual commercial MANET deployments outside the military domain. These recent evolutions have been generating a renewed and growing interest in the research and development of MANET. This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of this dynamic field. It first explains the important role that mobile ad hoc networks play in the evolution of future wireless technologies. Then, it reviews the latest research activities in these areas, including a summary of MANET\u27s characteristics, capabilities, applications, and design constraints. The paper concludes by presenting a set of challenges and problems requiring further research in the future