Query processing of spatial objects: Complexity versus Redundancy

The management of complex spatial objects in applications, such as geography and cartography, imposes stringent new requirements on spatial database systems, in particular on efficient query processing. As shown before, the performance of spatial query processing can be improved by decomposing complex spatial objects into simple components. Up to now, only decomposition techniques generating a linear number of very simple components, e.g. triangles or trapezoids, have been considered. In this paper, we will investigate the natural trade-off between the complexity of the components and the redundancy, i.e. the number of components, with respect to its effect on efficient query processing. In particular, we present two new decomposition methods generating a better balance between the complexity and the number of components than previously known techniques. We compare these new decomposition methods to the traditional undecomposed representation as well as to the well-known decomposition into convex polygons with respect to their performance in spatial query processing. This comparison points out that for a wide range of query selectivity the new decomposition techniques clearly outperform both the undecomposed representation and the convex decomposition method. More important than the absolute gain in performance by a factor of up to an order of magnitude is the robust performance of our new decomposition techniques over the whole range of query selectivity

A comparative investigation on performance and which is the preferred methodology for spectrum management; geo-location spectrum database or spetrum sensing

A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Witwatersrand, in the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering Johannesburg, 2015.Due to the enormous demand for multimedia services which relies hugely on the availability of spectrum, service providers and technologist are devising a means or method which is able to fully satisfy these growing demands. The availability of spectrum to meet these demands has been a lingering issue for the past couple of years. Many would have it tagged as spectrum scarcity but really the main problem is not how scarce the spectrum is but how efficiently allocated to use is the spectrum. Once such inefficiency is tackled effectively, then we are a step closer in meeting the enormous demands for uninterrupted services. However, to do so, there are techniques or methodologies being developed to aid in the efficient management of spectrum. In this research project, two methodologies were considered and the efficiency of these methodologies in the areas of spectrum management. The Geo-location Spectrum Database (GLSD) which is the most adopted technique and the Cognitive radio spectrum sensing technique are currently the available techniques in place. The TV whitespaces (TVWS) was explored using both techniques and certain comparison based on performances; implementation, practicability, cost and flexibility were used as an evaluation parameter in arriving at a conclusion. After accessing both methodologies, conclusions were deduced on the preferred methodology and how its use would efficiently solve the issues encountered in spectrum managemen

Une approche flexible et décentralisée du traitement de requêtes dans les systèmes géo-distribués

This thesis studies the design of query processing systems, across a diversity of geo-distributed settings. Optimising performance metrics such as response time, freshness, or operational cost involves design decisions, such as what derived state (e.g., indexes, materialised views, or caches) to maintain, and how to distribute and where to place the corresponding computation and state. These metrics are often in tension, and the trade-offs depend on the specific application and/or environment. This requires the ability to adapt the query engine's topology and architecture, and the placement of its components. This thesis makes the following contributions: - A flexible architecture for geo-distributed query engines, based on components connected in a bidirectional acyclic graph. - A common microservice abstraction and API for these components, the Query Processing Unit (QPU). A QPU encapsulates some primitive query processing task. Multiple QPU types exist, which can be instantiated and composed into complex graphs. - A model for constructing modular query engine architectures as a distributed topology of QPUs, enabling flexible design and trade-offs between performance metrics. - Proteus, a QPU-based framework for constructing and deploying query engines. - Representative deployments of Proteus and experimental evaluation thereof.Cette thèse présente l'étude de la conception de systèmes de traitement de requêtes dans divers cadres géo-distribués. L'optimisation des mesures de performance telles que le temps de réponse, la fraîcheur ou le coût opérationnel implique des décisions de conception tel que le choix de l’état dérivé (indices, vues matérialisées, caches par ex.) à construire et maintenir, et la distribution et le placement de ces derniers et de leurs calculs. Ces métriques sont souvent opposées et les compromis dépendent de l'application et/ou de la spécificité de l'environnement. La capacité d'adapter la topologie et l'architecture du système de traitement de requêtes devient alors essentielle, ainsi que le placement de ses composants. Cette thèse apporte les contributions suivantes : - Une architecture flexible pour les systèmes de traitement de requêtes géo-distribués, basée sur des composants connectés dans un graphe bidirectionnel acyclique. - Une abstraction de micro-service et une API communes pour ces composants, le Query Processing Unit (QPU). Un QPU encapsule une tâche de traitement de requête primitive. Il existe plusieurs types de QPU qui peuvent être instanciés et composés en graphes complexes. - Un modèle pour construire des architectures de systèmes de traitement de requêtes modulaires composées d’une topologie distribuée de QPUs, permettant une conception flexible et des compromis selon les mesures de performance visées. - Proteus, un framework basé sur les QPU, permettant la construction et le déploiement de systèmes de traitement de requêtes. - Déploiements représentatifs de systèmes de traitement de requêtes à l'aide de Proteus, et leur évaluation expérimentale

Portable High-Performance Indexing for Vector Product Format Spatial Databases

Geo-spatial databases have an overall performance problem because of their complexity and large size. For this reason, many researchers seek new ways to improve the overall performance of geo-spatial databases. Typically, these research efforts are focused on complex indexing structures and query processing methods to capture the relationships between the individual features of fully-functional geo-spatial databases. Visualization applications, such as combat simulators and mission planning tools, suffer from the general performance problems associated with geo-spatial databases. This research focuses on building a high-performance geo-spatial database for visualization applications. The main approach is to simplify the complex data model and to index it with high-performance indexing structures. Complex features are reduced to simple primitives, then indexed using a combination of a disk-based array and B(+)-Trees. Test results show that there is a significant performance improvement gained by the new data model and indexing schema for low to medium zoom levels. For high zoom levels, there is a performance drop due to the indexing schema\u27s overhead

Key-CRDT stores

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia InformáticaThe Internet has opened opportunities to create world scale services. These systems require highavailability and fault tolerance, while preserving low latency. Replication is a widely adopted technique to provide these properties. Different replication techniques have been proposed through the years, but to support these properties for world scale services it is necessary to trade consistency for availability, fault-tolerance and low latency. In weak consistency models, it is necessary to deal with possible conflicts arising from concurrent updates. We propose the use of conflict free replicated data types (CRDTs) to address this issue. Cloud computing systems support world scale services, often relying on Key-Value stores for storing data. These systems partition and replicate data over multiple nodes, that can be geographically disperse over the network. For handling conflict, these systems either rely on solutions that lose updates (e.g. last-write-wins) or require application to handle concurrent updates. Additionally, these systems provide little support for transactions, a widely used abstraction for data access. In this dissertation, we present the design and implementation of SwiftCloud, a Key-CRDT store that extends a Key-Value store by incorporating CRDTs in the system’s data-model. The system provides automatic conflict resolution relying on properties of CRDTs. We also present a version of SwiftCloud that supports transactions. Unlike traditional transactional systems, transactions never abort due to write/write conflicts, as the system leverages CRDT properties to merge concurrent transactions. For implementing SwiftCloud, we have introduced a set of new techniques, including versioned CRDTs, composition of CRDTs and alternative serialization methods. The evaluation of the system, with both micro-benchmarks and the TPC-W benchmark, shows that SwiftCloud imposes little overhead over a key-value store. Allowing clients to access a datacenter close to them with SwiftCloud, can reduce latency without requiring any complex reconciliation mechanism. The experience of using SwiftCloud has shown that adapting an existing application to use SwiftCloud requires low effort.Project PTDC/EIA-EIA/108963/200

Multimodal Content Delivery for Geo-services

This thesis describes a body of work carried out over several research projects in the area of multimodal interaction for location-based services. Research in this area has progressed from using simulated mobile environments to demonstrate the visual modality, to the ubiquitous delivery of rich media using multimodal interfaces (geo- services). To effectively deliver these services, research focused on innovative solutions to real-world problems in a number of disciplines including geo-location, mobile spatial interaction, location-based services, rich media interfaces and auditory user interfaces. My original contributions to knowledge are made in the areas of multimodal interaction underpinned by advances in geo-location technology and supported by the proliferation of mobile device technology into modern life. Accurate positioning is a known problem for location-based services, contributions in the area of mobile positioning demonstrate a hybrid positioning technology for mobile devices that uses terrestrial beacons to trilaterate position. Information overload is an active concern for location-based applications that struggle to manage large amounts of data, contributions in the area of egocentric visibility that filter data based on field-of-view demonstrate novel forms of multimodal input. One of the more pertinent characteristics of these applications is the delivery or output modality employed (auditory, visual or tactile). Further contributions in the area of multimodal content delivery are made, where multiple modalities are used to deliver information using graphical user interfaces, tactile interfaces and more notably auditory user interfaces. It is demonstrated how a combination of these interfaces can be used to synergistically deliver context sensitive rich media to users - in a responsive way - based on usage scenarios that consider the affordance of the device, the geographical position and bearing of the device and also the location of the device