Safety-Critical Java on a Java Processor

The safety-critical Java (SCJ) specification is developed within the Java Community Process under specification request number JSR 302. The specification is available as public draft, but details are still discussed by the expert group. In this stage of the specification we need prototype implementations of SCJ and first test applications that are written with SCJ, even when the specification is not finalized. The feedback from those prototype implementations is needed for final decisions. To help the SCJ expert group, a prototype implementation of SCJ on top of the Java optimized processor is developed and presented in this paper. This implementation raises issues in the SCJ specification and provides feedback to the expert group

Smart Grid Applications for a Practical Implementation of IP over Narrowband Power Line Communications

Abstract Currently, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems have equipped the low voltage section with a communication system that is being used mainly for metering purposes, but it can be further employed for additional applications related to the Smart Grid (SG) concept. This paper explores the potential applications beyond metering of the available channel in a Power Line Communication-based AMI system. To that end, IP has been implemented over Narrow Band-Power Line Communication (NB-PLC) in a real microgrid, which includes an AMI system. A thorough review of potential applications for the SG that might be implemented for this representative case is included in order to provide a realistic analysis of the potentiality of NB-PLC beyond smart metering. The results demonstrate that existing AMI systems based on NB-PLC have the capacity to implement additional applications such as remote commands or status signals, which entails an added value for deployed AMI systems.This work has been partially funded by the Basque Government (IT.683-13 and ELKARTEK KK-2017/00071

Optimizing scoped and immortal memory management in real-time java

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The Real-Time Specification for Java (RTSJ) introduces a new memory management model which avoids interfering with the garbage collection process and achieves better deterministic behaviour. In addition to the heap memory, two types of memory areas are provided - immortal and scoped. The research presented in this Thesis aims to optimize the use of the scoped and immortal memory model in RTSJ applications. Firstly, it provides an empirical study of the impact of scoped memory on execution time and memory consumption with different data objects allocated in scoped memory areas. It highlights different characteristics for the scoped memory model related to one of the RTSJ implementations (SUN RTS 2.2). Secondly, a new RTSJ case study which integrates scoped and immortal memory techniques to apply different memory models is presented. A simulation tool for a real-time Java application is developed which is the first in the literature that shows scoped memory and immortal memory consumption of an RTSJ application over a period of time. The simulation tool helps developers to choose the most appropriate scoped memory model by monitoring memory consumption and application execution time. The simulation demonstrates that a developer is able to compare and choose the most appropriate scoped memory design model that achieves the least memory footprint. Results showed that the memory design model with a higher number of scopes achieved the least memory footprint. However, the number of scopes per se does not always indicate a satisfactory memory footprint; choosing the right objects/threads to be allocated into scopes is an important factor to be considered. Recommendations and guidelines for developing RTSJ applications which use a scoped memory model are also provided. Finally, monitoring scoped and immortal memory at runtime may help in catching possible memory leaks. The case study with the simulation tool developed showed a space overhead incurred by immortal memory. In this research, dynamic code slicing is also employed as a debugging technique to explore constant increases in immortal memory. Two programming design patterns are presented for decreasing immortal memory overheads generated by specific data structures. Experimental results showed a significant decrease in immortal memory consumption at runtime

Web services choreography testing using semantic service description

Web services have become popular due to their ability to integrate with and to interoperate heterogeneous applications. Several web services can be combined into a single application to meet the needs of users. In the course of web services selection, a web candidate service needs to conform to the behaviour of its client, and one way of ensuring this conformity is by testing the interaction between the web service and its user. The existing web services test approaches mainly focus on syntax-based web services description, whilst the semantic-based solutions mostly address composite process flow testing. The aim of this research is to provide an automated testing approach to support service selection during automatic web services composition using Web Service Modeling Ontology (WSMO). The research work began with understanding and analysing the existing test generation approaches for web services. Second, the weaknesses of the existing approaches were identified and addressed by utilizing the choreography transition rules of WSMO in an effort to generate a Finite State Machine (FSM). The FSM was then used to generate the working test cases. Third, a technique to generate an FSM from Abstract State Machine (ASM) was adapted to be used with WSMO. This thesis finally proposed a new testing model called the Choreography to Finite State Machine (C2FSM) to support the service selection of an automatic web service composition. It proposed new algorithms to automatically generate the test cases from the semantic description (WSMO choreography description). The proposed approach was then evaluated using the Amazon E-Commerce Web Service WSMO description. The quality of the test cases generated using the proposed approach was measured by assessing their mutation adequacy score. A total of 115 mutants were created based on 7 mutant operators. A mutation adequacy score of 0.713 was obtained. The experimental validation demonstrated a significant result in the sense that C2FSM provided an efficient and feasible solution. The result of this research could assist the service consumer agents in verifying the behaviour of the Web service in selecting appropriate services for web service composition

Sustainable Energy Access for Communities

This open access book examines the transition to sustainable energy systems in emerging cities. Experts from around the world present case studies from different countries and discuss efforts were needed for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors look into the issue of environment vs. economics and discuss the question of whether the energy transition goal can conflict with other development goals such as decent work and economic growth. Furthermore, innovation in energy transition is introduced, both in technology and citizens’ engagement. The book presents the latest developments on energy access and transition to sustainability throughout the overall value chain: from basic research in universities to documentation of lessons learned in the field. The empirical evidence presented makes this book appealing to scholars in the field of energy sustainability as well as to policy-makers and energy service companies

Sustainable Energy Access for Communities

This open access book examines the transition to sustainable energy systems in emerging cities. Experts from around the world present case studies from different countries and discuss efforts were needed for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors look into the issue of environment vs. economics and discuss the question of whether the energy transition goal can conflict with other development goals such as decent work and economic growth. Furthermore, innovation in energy transition is introduced, both in technology and citizens’ engagement. The book presents the latest developments on energy access and transition to sustainability throughout the overall value chain: from basic research in universities to documentation of lessons learned in the field. The empirical evidence presented makes this book appealing to scholars in the field of energy sustainability as well as to policy-makers and energy service companies

Training of Crisis Mappers and Map Production from Multi-sensor Data: Vernazza Case Study (Cinque Terre National Park, Italy)

This aim of paper is to presents the development of a multidisciplinary project carried out by the cooperation between Politecnico di Torino and ITHACA (Information Technology for Humanitarian Assistance, Cooperation and Action). The goal of the project was the training in geospatial data acquiring and processing for students attending Architecture and Engineering Courses, in order to start up a team of "volunteer mappers". Indeed, the project is aimed to document the environmental and built heritage subject to disaster; the purpose is to improve the capabilities of the actors involved in the activities connected in geospatial data collection, integration and sharing. The proposed area for testing the training activities is the Cinque Terre National Park, registered in the World Heritage List since 1997. The area was affected by flood on the 25th of October 2011. According to other international experiences, the group is expected to be active after emergencies in order to upgrade maps, using data acquired by typical geomatic methods and techniques such as terrestrial and aerial Lidar, close-range and aerial photogrammetry, topographic and GNSS instruments etc.; or by non conventional systems and instruments such us UAV, mobile mapping etc. The ultimate goal is to implement a WebGIS platform to share all the data collected with local authorities and the Civil Protectio