Semantic-based policy engineering for autonomic systems

This paper presents some important directions in the use of ontology-based semantics in achieving the vision of Autonomic Communications. We examine the requirements of Autonomic Communication with a focus on the demanding needs of ubiquitous computing environments, with an emphasis on the requirements shared with Autonomic Computing. We observe that ontologies provide a strong mechanism for addressing the heterogeneity in user task requirements, managed resources, services and context. We then present two complimentary approaches that exploit ontology-based knowledge in support of autonomic communications: service-oriented models for policy engineering and dynamic semantic queries using content-based networks. The paper concludes with a discussion of the major research challenges such approaches raise

Security in Internet of Things: networked smart objects.

Internet of Things (IoT) is an innovative paradigm approaching both industries and humans every-day life. It refers to the networked interconnection of every-day objects, which are equipped with ubiquitous intelligence. It not only aims at increasing the ubiquity of the Internet, but also at leading towards a highly distributed network of devices communicating with human beings as well as with other devices. Thanks to rapid advances in underlying technologies, IoT is opening valuable opportunities for a large number of novel applications, that promise to improve the quality of humans lives, facilitating the exchange of services. In this scenario, security represents a crucial aspect to be addressed, due to the high level of heterogeneity of the involved devices and to the sensibility of the managed information. Moreover, a system architecture should be established, before the IoT is fully operable in an efficient, scalable and interoperable manner. The main goal of this PhD thesis concerns the design and the implementation of a secure and distributed middleware platform tailored to IoT application domains. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is evaluated by means of a prototype and real case studies

Digital cockpits and decision support systems : design of technics and tools to extract and process data from heterogeneous databases

Tableau d'honneur de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales, 2006-200

A Reference Architecture for Digital Ecosystems

Digital ecosystems are a new type of application based on a “universal digital environment” populated by digital entities that form communities that evolve and interact with information exchange and who trade digital objects that are produced through the system. Entities that participate and form the ecosystem can be applications running not only on simple devices: wearable, sensors, actuators, but also on complex services executed on smartphones, tablets, personal computers, company servers, etc. A reference architecture for digital ecosystems is a step toward standardization, as it defines a set of guidelines in designing and implementing a digital ecosystem. Often such architectures are very abstract, difficult to understand and implement. In this chapter, we introduce a vendor- and technology-neutral reference architecture for digital ecosystems and apply this architecture to an actual use case

The Regulation of E-learning: New National and International Policy Perspectives

The universe of postsecondary education is expanding. It is an era of rapid demographic and labor market changes, increased competition and shifts in institutional form (e.g., the rise of for profit degree granters, the hybrid form of nonprofit/for profit partnerships, corporate universities), and new forms of delivery driven by emerging technologies. In nearly all of these cases, the pace of innovation and establishment of new institutional forms outstrips the ability of regulators or policy makers to stay ahead of the curve.To better understand the complex interplay of public policy drivers regulating e-learning, the Center for Studies in Higher Education convened a meeting of experts in February 2006 for a preliminary examination of existing and emerging public policies that will shape its regulation both domestically and internationally. Three white papers were used as a point of departure for the discussions, which focused on the following areas: The Changing Regulatory Environment: Who, What, Why, and Where?; Finance, Investment, and the Flow of Capital; Student Access and Equity; Social Costs and Benefits from an International Perspective; and Consumer Protection and Cross-border Education. This report summarizes our conversations and recommendations for future research

Grid service-based e-learning systems architecures

E-Learning has been a topic of increasing interest in recent years, due mainly to the fact that content and tool support can now be offered at a widely affordable level. As a result, many elearning platforms and systems have been developed. Client-server, peer-to-peer and recently Web services architectures often form the basis. Major drawbacks of these architectures are their limitations in terms of scalability and the availability and distribution of resources. This chapter investigates grid architectures in the context of e-learning as a proposed answer for this problem. The principles and technologies of Grid architectures are discussed and illustrated using learning technology scenarios and systems