71 research outputs found
Introducing the new paradigm of Social Dispersed Computing: Applications, Technologies and Challenges
[EN] If last decade viewed computational services as a utility then surely
this decade has transformed computation into a commodity. Computation
is now progressively integrated into the physical networks in
a seamless way that enables cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the
Internet of Things (IoT) meet their latency requirements. Similar to
the concept of ¿platform as a service¿ or ¿software as a service¿, both
cloudlets and fog computing have found their own use cases. Edge
devices (that we call end or user devices for disambiguation) play the
role of personal computers, dedicated to a user and to a set of correlated
applications. In this new scenario, the boundaries between
the network node, the sensor, and the actuator are blurring, driven
primarily by the computation power of IoT nodes like single board
computers and the smartphones. The bigger data generated in this
type of networks needs clever, scalable, and possibly decentralized
computing solutions that can scale independently as required. Any
node can be seen as part of a graph, with the capacity to serve as a
computing or network router node, or both. Complex applications can
possibly be distributed over this graph or network of nodes to improve
the overall performance like the amount of data processed over time.
In this paper, we identify this new computing paradigm that we call
Social Dispersed Computing, analyzing key themes in it that includes
a new outlook on its relation to agent based applications. We architect
this new paradigm by providing supportive application examples that
include next generation electrical energy distribution networks, next
generation mobility services for transportation, and applications for
distributed analysis and identification of non-recurring traffic congestion
in cities. The paper analyzes the existing computing paradigms
(e.g., cloud, fog, edge, mobile edge, social, etc.), solving the ambiguity
of their definitions; and analyzes and discusses the relevant foundational
software technologies, the remaining challenges, and research
opportunities.Garcia Valls, MS.; Dubey, A.; Botti, V. (2018). Introducing the new paradigm of Social Dispersed Computing: Applications, Technologies and Challenges. Journal of Systems Architecture. 91:83-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sysarc.2018.05.007S831029
What is a Blockchain? A Definition to Clarify the Role of the Blockchain in the Internet of Things
The use of the term blockchain is documented for disparate projects, from cryptocurrencies to applications for the Internet of Things (IoT), and many more. The concept of blockchain appears therefore blurred, as it is hard to believe that the same technology can empower applications that have extremely different requirements and exhibit dissimilar performance and security. This position paper elaborates on the theory of distributed systems to advance a clear definition of blockchain that allows us to clarify its role in the IoT. This definition inextricably binds together three elements that, as a whole, provide the blockchain with those unique features that distinguish it from other distributed ledger technologies: immutability, transparency and anonimity. We note however that immutability comes at the expense of remarkable resource consumption, transparency demands no confidentiality and anonymity prevents user identification and registration. This is in stark contrast to the requirements of most IoT applications that are made up of resource constrained devices, whose data need to be kept confidential and users to be clearly known. Building on the proposed definition, we derive new guidelines for selecting the proper distributed ledger technology depending on application requirements and trust models, identifying common pitfalls leading to improper applications of the blockchain. We finally indicate a feasible role of the blockchain for the IoT: myriads of local, IoT transactions can be aggregated off-chain and then be successfully recorded on an external blockchain as a means of public accountability when required
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