An agent-based visualisation system.

This thesis explores the concepts of visual supercomputing, where complex distributed systems are used toward interactive visualisation of large datasets. Such complex systems inherently trigger management and optimisation problems; in recent years the concepts of autonomic computing have arisen to address those issues. Distributed visualisation systems are a very challenging area to apply autonomic computing ideas as such systems are both latency and compute sensitive, while most autonomic computing implementations usually concentrate on one or the other but not both concurrently. A major contribution of this thesis is to provide a case study demonstrating the application of autonomic computing concepts to a computation intensive, real-time distributed visualisation system. The first part of the thesis proposes the realisation of a layered multi-agent system to enable autonomic visualisation. The implementation of a generic multi-agent system providing reflective features is described. This architecture is then used to create a flexible distributed graphic pipeline, oriented toward real-time visualisation of volume datasets. Performance evaluation of the pipeline is presented. The second part of the thesis explores the reflective nature of the system and presents high level architectures based on software agents, or visualisation strategies, that take advantage of the flexibility of the system to provide generic features. Autonomic capabilities are presented, with fault recovery and automatic resource configuration. Performance evaluation, simulation and prediction of the system are presented, exploring different use cases and optimisation scenarios. A performance exploration tool, Delphe, is described, which uses real-time data of the system to let users explore its performance

Engineering Self-Adaptive Collective Processes for Cyber-Physical Ecosystems

The pervasiveness of computing and networking is creating significant opportunities for building valuable socio-technical systems. However, the scale, density, heterogeneity, interdependence, and QoS constraints of many target systems pose severe operational and engineering challenges. Beyond individual smart devices, cyber-physical collectives can provide services or solve complex problems by leveraging a “system effect” while coordinating and adapting to context or environment change. Understanding and building systems exhibiting collective intelligence and autonomic capabilities represent a prominent research goal, partly covered, e.g., by the field of collective adaptive systems. Therefore, drawing inspiration from and building on the long-time research activity on coordination, multi-agent systems, autonomic/self-* systems, spatial computing, and especially on the recent aggregate computing paradigm, this thesis investigates concepts, methods, and tools for the engineering of possibly large-scale, heterogeneous ensembles of situated components that should be able to operate, adapt and self-organise in a decentralised fashion. The primary contribution of this thesis consists of four main parts. First, we define and implement an aggregate programming language (ScaFi), internal to the mainstream Scala programming language, for describing collective adaptive behaviour, based on field calculi. Second, we conceive of a “dynamic collective computation” abstraction, also called aggregate process, formalised by an extension to the field calculus, and implemented in ScaFi. Third, we characterise and provide a proof-of-concept implementation of a middleware for aggregate computing that enables the development of aggregate systems according to multiple architectural styles. Fourth, we apply and evaluate aggregate computing techniques to edge computing scenarios, and characterise a design pattern, called Self-organising Coordination Regions (SCR), that supports adjustable, decentralised decision-making and activity in dynamic environments.Con lo sviluppo di informatica e intelligenza artificiale, la diffusione pervasiva di device computazionali e la crescente interconnessione tra elementi fisici e digitali, emergono innumerevoli opportunità per la costruzione di sistemi socio-tecnici di nuova generazione. Tuttavia, l'ingegneria di tali sistemi presenta notevoli sfide, data la loro complessità—si pensi ai livelli, scale, eterogeneità, e interdipendenze coinvolti. Oltre a dispositivi smart individuali, collettivi cyber-fisici possono fornire servizi o risolvere problemi complessi con un “effetto sistema” che emerge dalla coordinazione e l'adattamento di componenti fra loro, l'ambiente e il contesto. Comprendere e costruire sistemi in grado di esibire intelligenza collettiva e capacità autonomiche è un importante problema di ricerca studiato, ad esempio, nel campo dei sistemi collettivi adattativi. Perciò, traendo ispirazione e partendo dall'attività di ricerca su coordinazione, sistemi multiagente e self-*, modelli di computazione spazio-temporali e, specialmente, sul recente paradigma di programmazione aggregata, questa tesi tratta concetti, metodi, e strumenti per l'ingegneria di ensemble di elementi situati eterogenei che devono essere in grado di lavorare, adattarsi, e auto-organizzarsi in modo decentralizzato. Il contributo di questa tesi consiste in quattro parti principali. In primo luogo, viene definito e implementato un linguaggio di programmazione aggregata (ScaFi), interno al linguaggio Scala, per descrivere comportamenti collettivi e adattativi secondo l'approccio dei campi computazionali. In secondo luogo, si propone e caratterizza l'astrazione di processo aggregato per rappresentare computazioni collettive dinamiche concorrenti, formalizzata come estensione al field calculus e implementata in ScaFi. Inoltre, si analizza e implementa un prototipo di middleware per sistemi aggregati, in grado di supportare più stili architetturali. Infine, si applicano e valutano tecniche di programmazione aggregata in scenari di edge computing, e si propone un pattern, Self-Organising Coordination Regions, per supportare, in modo decentralizzato, attività decisionali e di regolazione in ambienti dinamici

Observing the clouds : a survey and taxonomy of cloud monitoring

This research was supported by a Royal Society Industry Fellowship and an Amazon Web Services (AWS) grant. Date of Acceptance: 10/12/2014Monitoring is an important aspect of designing and maintaining large-scale systems. Cloud computing presents a unique set of challenges to monitoring including: on-demand infrastructure, unprecedented scalability, rapid elasticity and performance uncertainty. There are a wide range of monitoring tools originating from cluster and high-performance computing, grid computing and enterprise computing, as well as a series of newer bespoke tools, which have been designed exclusively for cloud monitoring. These tools express a number of common elements and designs, which address the demands of cloud monitoring to various degrees. This paper performs an exhaustive survey of contemporary monitoring tools from which we derive a taxonomy, which examines how effectively existing tools and designs meet the challenges of cloud monitoring. We conclude by examining the socio-technical aspects of monitoring, and investigate the engineering challenges and practices behind implementing monitoring strategies for cloud computing.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Cerebro, emoción y lenguaje. Perspectivas teóricas aplicadas al aprendizaje de segundas lenguas

Second language teaching methods have undergone constant innovation since the mid-twentieth century. However, this has not brought the desired results, suggesting the need to address other crucial factors as yet unexplored and particularly to understand how the brain learns and how language functions in the learning brain. This article examines several schools of thought from brain science and the science of the mind from the perspective of their potential relevance to language learning. The task is not without difficulty, given the enormous volume of available knowledge, requiring not only a thorough analysis of the scientific production but also, above all, a precise selection of material that can be integrated into the field of linguistics applied to the teaching of language, both in terms of research and methodological approaches. We will analyze concepts, theories and paradigms related to the fundamental capacities of the brain, such as perception, emotion, memory and language, in order to better understand how they function in the second language learning processes of as well as raising a series of questions that could be usefully addressed by future researchers in the field of applied linguistics. Our interest is to reflect on how this knowledge can offer new theoretical frameworks on which to build more effective second language teaching approaches and strategies.Desde mediados del siglo pasado, hemos asistido a constantes innovaciones en los enfoques de enseñanza de segundas lenguas. Sin embargo, esto no ha traído consigo los logros esperados, lo que nos hace pensar en la necesidad de atender a otros factores cruciales no considerados y, especialmente, comprender cómo aprende el cerebro y cómo es el funcionamiento de la lengua en ese cerebro que aprende. Este trabajo trata de revisar algunos aportes de las ciencias del cerebro y de la mente desde la perspectiva de su potencial relevancia para el aprendizaje de lenguas. La tarea no está exenta de dificultad, pues el volumen de conocimiento disponible es enorme, lo que exige no solo un análisis minucioso de la producción científica sino, sobre todo, una selección de precisa de la información susceptible de integrarse en el campo de la lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza de lenguas, tanto en trabajos de investigación como en enfoques metodológicos. Analizaremos conceptos, teorías y paradigmas relacionados con las capacidades fundamentales del cerebro, tales como la percepción, la emoción, la memoria o el lenguaje, con objeto de comprender mejor su funcionamiento en los procesos de aprendizaje. Nuestro interés es reflexionar sobre cómo este conocimiento puede ofrecernos nuevos marcos teóricos sobre los que desarrollar enfoques y estrategias de enseñanza de segundas lenguas más eficaces.Agencia Estatal de Investigació

Building the Hyperconnected Society- Internet of Things Research and Innovation Value Chains, Ecosystems and Markets

This book aims to provide a broad overview of various topics of Internet of Things (IoT), ranging from research, innovation and development priorities to enabling technologies, nanoelectronics, cyber-physical systems, architecture, interoperability and industrial applications. All this is happening in a global context, building towards intelligent, interconnected decision making as an essential driver for new growth and co-competition across a wider set of markets. It is intended to be a standalone book in a series that covers the Internet of Things activities of the IERC – Internet of Things European Research Cluster from research to technological innovation, validation and deployment.The book builds on the ideas put forward by the European Research Cluster on the Internet of Things Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, and presents global views and state of the art results on the challenges facing the research, innovation, development and deployment of IoT in future years. The concept of IoT could disrupt consumer and industrial product markets generating new revenues and serving as a growth driver for semiconductor, networking equipment, and service provider end-markets globally. This will create new application and product end-markets, change the value chain of companies that creates the IoT technology and deploy it in various end sectors, while impacting the business models of semiconductor, software, device, communication and service provider stakeholders. The proliferation of intelligent devices at the edge of the network with the introduction of embedded software and app-driven hardware into manufactured devices, and the ability, through embedded software/hardware developments, to monetize those device functions and features by offering novel solutions, could generate completely new types of revenue streams. Intelligent and IoT devices leverage software, software licensing, entitlement management, and Internet connectivity in ways that address many of the societal challenges that we will face in the next decade

Incrementando as redes centradas à informaçãopara uma internet das coisas baseada em nomes

The way we use the Internet has been evolving since its origins. Nowadays, users are more interested in accessing contents and services with high demands in terms of bandwidth, security and mobility. This evolution has triggered the emergence of novel networking architectures targeting current, as well as future, utilisation demands. Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is a prominent example of these novel architectures that moves away from the current host-centric communications and centres its networking functions around content. Parallel to this, new utilisation scenarios in which smart devices interact with one another, as well as with other networked elements, have emerged to constitute what we know as the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is expected to have a significant impact on both the economy and society. However, fostering the widespread adoption of IoT requires many challenges to be overcome. Despite recent developments, several issues concerning the deployment of IPbased IoT solutions on a large scale are still open. The fact that IoT is focused on data and information rather than on point-topoint communications suggests the adoption of solutions relying on ICN architectures. In this context, this work explores the ground concepts of ICN to develop a comprehensive vision of the principal requirements that should be met by an IoT-oriented ICN architecture. This vision is complemented with solutions to fundamental issues for the adoption of an ICN-based IoT. First, to ensure the freshness of the information while retaining the advantages of ICN’s in-network caching mechanisms. Second, to enable discovery functionalities in both local and large-scale domains. The proposed mechanisms are evaluated through both simulation and prototyping approaches, with results showcasing the feasibility of their adoption. Moreover, the outcomes of this work contribute to the development of new compelling concepts towards a full-fledged Named Network of Things.A forma como usamos a Internet tem vindo a evoluir desde a sua criação. Atualmente, os utilizadores estão mais interessados em aceder a conteúdos e serviços, com elevados requisitos em termos de largura de banda, segurança e mobilidade. Esta evolução desencadeou o desenvolvimento de novas arquiteturas de rede, visando os atuais, bem como os futuros, requisitos de utilização. As Redes Centradas à Informação (Information-Centric Networking - ICN) são um exemplo proeminente destas novas arquiteturas que, em vez de seguirem um modelo de comunicação centrado nos dispositivos terminais, centram as suas funções de rede em torno do próprio conteúdo. Paralelamente, novos cenários de utilização onde dispositivos inteligentes interagem entre si, e com outros elementos de rede, têm vindo a aparecer e constituem o que hoje conhecemos como a Internet das Coisas (Internet of Things - IoT ). É esperado que a IoT tenha um impacto significativo na economia e na sociedade. No entanto, promover a adoção em massa da IoT ainda requer que muitos desafios sejam superados. Apesar dos desenvolvimentos recentes, vários problemas relacionados com a adoção em larga escala de soluções de IoT baseadas no protocolo IP estão em aberto. O facto da IoT estar focada em dados e informação, em vez de comunicações ponto-a-ponto, sugere a adoção de soluções baseadas em arquiteturas ICN. Neste sentido, este trabalho explora os conceitos base destas soluções para desenvolver uma visão completa dos principais requisitos que devem ser satisfeitos por uma solução IoT baseada na arquitetura de rede ICN. Esta visão é complementada com soluções para problemas cruciais para a adoção de uma IoT baseada em ICN. Em primeiro lugar, assegurar que a informação seja atualizada e, ao mesmo tempo, manter as vantagens do armazenamento intrínseco em elementos de rede das arquiteturas ICN. Em segundo lugar, permitir as funcionalidades de descoberta não só em domínios locais, mas também em domínios de larga-escala. Os mecanismos propostos são avaliados através de simulações e prototipagem, com os resultados a demonstrarem a viabilidade da sua adoção. Para além disso, os resultados deste trabalho contribuem para o desenvolvimento de conceitos sólidos em direção a uma verdadeira Internet das Coisas baseada em Nomes.Programa Doutoral em Telecomunicaçõe

Digital twins for performance management in the built environment

Recent events worldwide of climate and geological origins highlight the vulnerability of our infrastructures and stress the often dramatic consequences on our environment. Accurate digital models are needed to understand how climate change and associated risks affect buildings, while informing on ways of enhancing their adaptability and resilience. This requires a paradigm shift in design and engineering interventions as the potential for adaptation and resilience should be embedded into initial brief formulation, design, engineering, construction and facility maintenance methods. This paper argues the need for smarter and digital interventions for buildings and infrastructures and their underpinning data systems that factor in topology (including geometry), mereology, and behavioural (dynamic) considerations. Digital models can be used as a basis to understand the complex interplay between environmental variables and performance, and explore real-time response strategies (including control and actuation) to known and uncertain solicitations enabled by a new generation of technologies. The paper proposes a digital twin model for the construction and industrial assets that paves the way to a new generation of buildings and infrastructures that (a) address lifetime requirements, (b) are capable of performing optimally within the constraints of unknown future scenarios, and (c) achieve acceptable levels of adaptability, efficiency and resilience