Application of service composition mechanisms to Future Networks architectures and Smart Grids

Aquesta tesi gira entorn de la hipòtesi de la metodologia i mecanismes de composició de serveis i com es poden aplicar a diferents camps d'aplicació per a orquestrar de manera eficient comunicacions i processos flexibles i sensibles al context. Més concretament, se centra en dos camps d'aplicació: la distribució eficient i sensible al context de contingut multimèdia i els serveis d'una xarxa elèctrica intel·ligent. En aquest últim camp es centra en la gestió de la infraestructura, cap a la definició d'una Software Defined Utility (SDU), que proposa una nova manera de gestionar la Smart Grid amb un enfocament basat en programari, que permeti un funcionament molt més flexible de la infraestructura de xarxa elèctrica. Per tant, revisa el context, els requisits i els reptes, així com els enfocaments de la composició de serveis per a aquests camps. Fa especial èmfasi en la combinació de la composició de serveis amb arquitectures Future Network (FN), presentant una proposta de FN orientada a serveis per crear comunicacions adaptades i sota demanda. També es presenten metodologies i mecanismes de composició de serveis per operar sobre aquesta arquitectura, i posteriorment, es proposa el seu ús (en conjunció o no amb l'arquitectura FN) en els dos camps d'estudi. Finalment, es presenta la investigació i desenvolupament realitzat en l'àmbit de les xarxes intel·ligents, proposant diverses parts de la infraestructura SDU amb exemples d'aplicació de composició de serveis per dissenyar seguretat dinàmica i flexible o l'orquestració i gestió de serveis i recursos dins la infraestructura de l'empresa elèctrica.Esta tesis gira en torno a la hipótesis de la metodología y mecanismos de composición de servicios y cómo se pueden aplicar a diferentes campos de aplicación para orquestar de manera eficiente comunicaciones y procesos flexibles y sensibles al contexto. Más concretamente, se centra en dos campos de aplicación: la distribución eficiente y sensible al contexto de contenido multimedia y los servicios de una red eléctrica inteligente. En este último campo se centra en la gestión de la infraestructura, hacia la definición de una Software Defined Utility (SDU), que propone una nueva forma de gestionar la Smart Grid con un enfoque basado en software, que permita un funcionamiento mucho más flexible de la infraestructura de red eléctrica. Por lo tanto, revisa el contexto, los requisitos y los retos, así como los enfoques de la composición de servicios para estos campos. Hace especial hincapié en la combinación de la composición de servicios con arquitecturas Future Network (FN), presentando una propuesta de FN orientada a servicios para crear comunicaciones adaptadas y bajo demanda. También se presentan metodologías y mecanismos de composición de servicios para operar sobre esta arquitectura, y posteriormente, se propone su uso (en conjunción o no con la arquitectura FN) en los dos campos de estudio. Por último, se presenta la investigación y desarrollo realizado en el ámbito de las redes inteligentes, proponiendo varias partes de la infraestructura SDU con ejemplos de aplicación de composición de servicios para diseñar seguridad dinámica y flexible o la orquestación y gestión de servicios y recursos dentro de la infraestructura de la empresa eléctrica.This thesis revolves around the hypothesis the service composition methodology and mechanisms and how they can be applied to different fields of application in order to efficiently orchestrate flexible and context-aware communications and processes. More concretely, it focuses on two fields of application that are the context-aware media distribution and smart grid services and infrastructure management, towards a definition of a Software-Defined Utility (SDU), which proposes a new way of managing the Smart Grid following a software-based approach that enable a much more flexible operation of the power infrastructure. Hence, it reviews the context, requirements and challenges of these fields, as well as the service composition approaches. It makes special emphasis on the combination of service composition with Future Network (FN) architectures, presenting a service-oriented FN proposal for creating context-aware on-demand communication services. Service composition methodology and mechanisms are also presented in order to operate over this architecture, and afterwards, proposed for their usage (in conjunction or not with the FN architecture) in the deployment of context-aware media distribution and Smart Grids. Finally, the research and development done in the field of Smart Grids is depicted, proposing several parts of the SDU infrastructure, with examples of service composition application for designing dynamic and flexible security for smart metering or the orchestration and management of services and data resources within the utility infrastructure

Knowledge-based web services for context adaptation.

The need for higher value, reliable online services to promote new Internet-based business models is a requirement facing many technologists and business leaders. This need coupled with the trend towards greater mobility of networked devices and consumers creates significant challenges for current and future systems developers. The proliferation of mobile devices and the variability of their capabilities present an overwhelming number of options to systems designers and engineers who are tasked with the development of next generation context adaptive software services. Given the dynamic nature of this environment, implementing solutions for the current set of devices in the held makes an assumption that this deployment situation is somehow fixed this assumption does little to support the future and longer term needs within the marketplace. To add to the complexity, the timeframes necessary to develop robust and adaptive online software services can be long by comparison, so that the development projects and their resources are often behind on platform support before the first release is launched to the public. New approaches and methodologies for engineering dynamic and adaptive online services will be necessary and, as will be shown, are in fact mandated by the regulation imposed by service level guarantees. These new techniques and technology are commercially useless unless they can be used in engineering practice. New context adaptation processes and architectures must be capable of performing under strict service level agreements those that will undoubtedly govern future business relationships between online parties. This programme of engineering study and research investigates several key issues found in the emerging area of context adaptation services for online mobile networks. As a series of engineering investigations, the work described here involves a wider array of technical activity than found in traditional doctoral work and this is reflected throughout the dissertation. First, a clear definition of industrial motivation is stated to provide the engineering foundation. Next, the programme focuses on the nature of contextual adaptation through product development projects. The development process within these projects results in several issues with the commercial feasibility of the technology. From this point, the programme of study then progresses through the lifecycle of the engineering process, investigating at each stage the critical engineering challenges. Further analysis of the problems and possible solutions for deploying such adaptive solutions are reviewed and experiments are undertaken in the areas of systems component and performance analysis. System-wide architectural options are then evaluated with specific interest in using knowledge-base systems as one approach to solving some of the issues in context adaptation. The central hypothesis is that due to the dynamic nature of context parameters, the concept of a mobile device knowledge base as a necessary component of an architectural solution is presented and justified through prototyping efforts. The utility of web ontologies and other "soft computing" technologies on the nature of the solution are also examined through the review of relevant work and the engineering design of the demonstration system. These technology selections are supported directly by the industrial context and mission. In the final sections, the architecture is evaluated through the demonstration of promising techniques and methods in order to confirm understanding and to evaluate the use of knowledge-bases, AI and other technologies within the scope of the project. Through the implementation of a context adaptation architecture as a business process workflow, the impact of future trends of device reconfiguration are highlighted and discussed. To address the challenge of context adaptation in reconftgurable device architectures, an evolutionary computation approach is then presented as a means to provide an optimal baseline on which a service may execute. These last two techniques are discussed and new designs are proposed to specifically address the major issues uncovered in timely collection and evaluation of contextual parameters in a mobile service network. The programme summary and future work then brings together all the key results into a practitioner's reference guide for the creation of online context adaptive services with a greater degree of intelligence and maintainability while executing with the term of a service level agreement

Queensland University of Technology: Handbook 2016

The Queensland University of Technology handbook gives an outline of the faculties and subject offerings available that were offered by QUT