Unified Software Engineering Reuse: A Methodology for Effective Software Reuse

Software is a necessity in the modern world, and that need is continuously growing. As expensive as the creation of all this new software is, the maintenance costs are even greater. One solution to this problem is software reuse, whereby already written software can be applied to new problems after some modification, thus reducing the overall input of new code. The goal in traditional software reuse is to produce a piece of software with enough flexibility to be used at least twice. Unfortunately, there are many difficulties in achieving software reuse using modern programming techniques. Even software built specifically for reuse is severely restricted in its utility for new applications. It is easy for new programs to require entirely new logic or new objects. Because of this, they become quickly outdated, and any labor spent creating reusable software is nullified. The solution is a method to vastly increase the reusability of software by concentrating on the base knowledge and overall goals of software rather than the details on a case-by-case basis. Finding patterns in the problem and solution spaces allows unification into a smaller solution set. Instead of each problem receiving its own solution from marginally reusable components, multiple problems are resolved with the same architecture and object set. As an added benefit, this solution will not only vastly improve software reuse, but it will make feasible systems that can construct software architecture on demand and provide the first steps to fully automated software development

Open Educational Content for Digital Public Libraries

If the production of digital content for teaching -- particularly free content -- is to expand substantially, there must be mechanisms to establish a link to fame and fortune that was not perceived in a pre-digital world. How that might be done is the central question this report addresses, in the context of examining the movement for open educational content. Understanding that movement requires delving into the history of what may seem, on first pass, a totally unrelated field of endeavor. The reader's patience is requested....

Reputation Systems: A framework for attacks and frauds classification

Reputation and recommending systems have been widely used in e-commerce, as well as online collaborative networks, P2P networks and many other contexts, in order to provide trust to the participants involved in the online interaction. Based on a reputation score, the e-commerce user feels a sense of security, leading the person to trust or not when buying or selling. However, these systems may give the user a false sense of security due to their gaps. This article discusses the limitations of the current reputation systems in terms of models to determine the reputation score of the users. We intend to contribute to the knowledge in this field by providing a systematic overview of the main types of attack and fraud found in those systems, proposing a novel framework of classification based on a matrix of attributes. We believe such a framework could help analyse new types of attacks and fraud. Our work was based on a systematic literature review methodology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Capability Coordination in Modular Organization: Voluntary FS/OSS Production and the Case of Debian GNU/Linux

The paper analyzes voluntary Free Software/Open Source Software (FS/OSS) organization of work. The empirical setting considered is the Debian GNU/Linux operating system. The paper finds that the production process is hierarchical notwithstanding the modular (nearly decomposable) architecture of software and of voluntary FS/OSS organization. But voluntary FS/OSS project organization is not hierarchical for the same reasons suggested by the most familiar theories of economic organization: hierarchy is justified for coordination of continuous change, rather than for the direction of static production. Hierarchy is ultimately the overhead attached to the benefits engendered by modular organization.Modularity, hierarchy, capabilities, coordination costs, software.

Using Spammers\u27 Computing Resources for Volunteer Computing

Spammers are continually looking to circumvent counter-measures seeking to slow them down. An immense amount of time and money is currently devoted to hiding spam, but not enough is devoted to effectively preventing it. One approach for preventing spam is to force the spammer\u27s machine to solve a computational problem of varying difficulty before granting access. The idea is that suspicious or problematic requests are given difficult problems to solve while legitimate requests are allowed through with minimal computation. Unfortunately, most systems that employ this model waste the computing resources being used, as they are directed towards solving cryptographic problems that provide no societal benefit. While systems such as reCAPTCHA and FoldIt have allowed users to contribute solutions to useful problems interactively, an analogous solution for non-interactive proof-of-work does not exist. Towards this end, this paper describes MetaCAPTCHA and reBOINC, an infrastructure for supporting useful proof-of-work that is integrated into a web spam throttling service. The infrastructure dynamically issues CAPTCHAs and proof-of-work puzzles while ensuring that malicious users solve challenging puzzles. Additionally, it provides a framework that enables the computational resources of spammers to be redirected towards meaningful research. To validate the efficacy of our approach, prototype implementations based on OpenCV and BOINC are described that demonstrate the ability to harvest spammer\u27s resources for beneficial purposes

JSB Composability and Web Services Interoperability Via Extensible Modeling & Simulation Framework (XMSF), Model Driven Architecture (MDA), Component Repositories, and Web-based Visualization

Study Report prepared for the U. S. Air Force, Joint Synthetic Battlespace Analysis of Technical Approaches (ATA) Studies & Prototyping Overview: This paper summarizes research work conducted by organizations concerned with interoperable distributed information technology (IT) applications, in particular the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Old Dominion University (ODU). Although the application focus is distributed modeling & simulation (M&S) the results and findings are in general easily applicable to other distributed concepts as well, in particular the support of operations by M&S applications, such as distributed mission operations. The core idea of this work is to show the necessity of applying open standards for component description, implementation, and integration accompanied by aligned management processes and procedures to enable continuous interoperability for legacy and new M&S components of the live, virtual, and constructive domain within the USAF Joint Synthetic Battlespace (JSB). JSB will be a common integration framework capable of supporting the future emerging simulation needs ranging from training and battlefield rehearsal to research, system development and acquisition in alignment with other operational requirements, such as integration of command and control, support of operations, integration of training ranges comprising real systems, etc. To this end, the study describes multiple complementary Integrated Architecture Framework approaches and shows, how the various parts must be orchestrated in order to support the vision of JSB effectively and efficiently. Topics of direct relevance include Web Services via Extensible Modeling & Simulation Framework (XMSF), the Object Management Group (OMG)’s Model Driven Architecture (MDA), XML-based resource repositories, and Web-based X3D visualization. To this end, the report shows how JSB can − Utilize Web Services throughout all components via XMSF methodologies, − Compose diverse system visualizations using Web-based X3D graphics, − Benefit from distributed modeling methods using MDA, and − Best employ resource repositories for broad and consistent composability. Furthermore, the report recommends the establishment of necessary management organizations responsible for the necessary alignment of management processes and procedures within the JSB as well as with neighbored domains. Continuous interoperability cannot be accomplished by technical standards alone. The application of technical standards targets the implementation level of the system of systems, which results in an interoperable solution valid only for the actual 2 implementation. To insure continuity, the influence of updates, upgrades and introduction of components on the system of systems must be captured in the project management procedures of the participating systems. Finally, the report proposes an exemplifying set of proof-of-capability demonstration prototypes and a five-year technical/institutional transformation plan. All key references are online available at http://www.movesinstitute.org/xmsf/xmsf.html (if not explicitly stated otherwise)

German and Israeli Innovation: The Best of Two Worlds

This study reviews – through desk research and expert interviews with Mittelstand companies, startups and ecosystem experts – the current status of the Israeli startup ecosystem and the Mittelstand region of North Rhine- Westphalia (NRW), Germany. As a case study, it highlights potential opportunities for collaboration and analyzes different engagement modes that might serve to connect the two regions. The potential synergies between the two economies are based on a high degree of complementarity. A comparison of NRW’s key verticals and Israel’s primary areas of innovation indicates that there is significant overlap in verticals, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), sensors and cybersecurity. Israeli startups can offer speed, agility and new ideas, while German Mittelstand companies can contribute expertise in production and scaling, access to markets, capital and support. The differences between Mittelstand companies and startups are less pronounced than those between startups and big corporations. However, three current barriers to fruitful collaboration have been identified: 1) a lack of access, 2) a lack of transparency regarding relevant players in the market, and 3) a lack of the internal resources needed to select the right partners, often due to time constraints or a lack of internal expertise on this issue. To ensure that positive business opportunities ensue, Mittelstand companies and startups alike have to be proactive in their search for cooperation partners and draw on a range of existing engagement modes (e.g., events, communities, accelerators). The interviews and the research conducted for this study made clear that no single mode of engagement can address all the needs and challenges associated with German-Israeli collaboration

Microservice Transition and its Granularity Problem: A Systematic Mapping Study

Microservices have gained wide recognition and acceptance in software industries as an emerging architectural style for autonomic, scalable, and more reliable computing. The transition to microservices has been highly motivated by the need for better alignment of technical design decisions with improving value potentials of architectures. Despite microservices' popularity, research still lacks disciplined understanding of transition and consensus on the principles and activities underlying "micro-ing" architectures. In this paper, we report on a systematic mapping study that consolidates various views, approaches and activities that commonly assist in the transition to microservices. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the transition; it also contributes a working definition of the transition and technical activities underlying it. We term the transition and technical activities leading to microservice architectures as microservitization. We then shed light on a fundamental problem of microservitization: microservice granularity and reasoning about its adaptation as first-class entities. This study reviews state-of-the-art and -practice related to reasoning about microservice granularity; it reviews modelling approaches, aspects considered, guidelines and processes used to reason about microservice granularity. This study identifies opportunities for future research and development related to reasoning about microservice granularity.Comment: 36 pages including references, 6 figures, and 3 table

Orbital Decay: Space Junk and the Environmental History of Earth\u27s Planetary Borderlands

What is space junk, and who defines pollution in an environment seemingly devoid of nature as we know it? Beginning with the launch of Sputnik in 1957, spacefaring nations transformed the region between the upper atmosphere and the moon from a wilderness into a landscape. Like any terrestrial industry, the construction of a satellite infrasctructure in orbit also yielded a system of byproducts—human-made waste colloquially known as “space junk.” Although remote and largely invisible to the majority of space technology users, the orbital environment nonetheless played a critical role in Cold War geopolitics. Contrary to current space policy literature that portrays space junk and awareness of space junk as recent phenomena, communities around the world were both aware and concerned about space junk from the very first moments of the Space Age. By tracing convergent changes in the orbital landscape and in the political landscape below during the Cold War, concurrent with the rise of mainstream environmentalism, this dissertation reveals the roots of an international understanding of the borderlands between Earth and outer space as a natural environment at risk. Focusing on highly mobile, unruly space junk artifacts illuminates the many ways that humankind mutually shaped and was shaped by the global ecosystem surrounding our planet during the Cold War. Situated at the intersection of the histories of science, technology, and the environment, this dissertation illustrates how space junk in orbit and falling to Earth brought geographically and politically disparate states into dangerous proximity during the Cold War. An international consciousness of outer space as a fragile environment emerged early in the Space Age, and influenced the negotiation of new modes of international scientific and environmental governance in near-Earth space

An Examination of Reverse Logistics Factors Impacting the 463-L Pallet Program

During peacetime operations, the process of tracking and managing 463-L assets within the Air Mobility Command airlift system results in infrequent imbalances or accountability issues. However, during contingency operations, AMC loses control of 463-L assets as they are turned over to the intra-theater distribution system. Since current contingency operations began in October of 2001, the Air Force has been unable to account for over 97,000 463-L pallets and 220,000 cargo nets. With a single pallet and net set costing over $1,300, the total value of the equipment unaccounted for exceeds$126 million. If not corrected, this failure to account for 463-L equipment may negatively impact the flow of sustainment cargo to the warfighter. The Department of Defense, United States Transportation Command, and AMC are currently investigating the problem from multiple angles, to include new technologies, inventory replenishments, Critical Asset Recovery Teams, and Defense Transportation Regulation rewrites. Rather than focusing on these current efforts, this research attempted to determine if concepts of resource-based theory and established best practices of reverse logistics could be used to evaluate the 463-L program. Using a collective case study methodology, this research sought to identify resource related factors in existing RL literature that tend to impact program performance and then draw comparison between the 463-L program and the similar programs of industry leading air cargo carriers based on those factors