Composition and Self-Adaptation of Service-Based Systems with Feature Models

The adoption of mechanisms for reusing software in pervasive systems has not yet become standard practice. This is because the use of pre-existing software requires the selection, composition and adaptation of prefabricated software parts, as well as the management of some complex problems such as guaranteeing high levels of efficiency and safety in critical domains. In addition to the wide variety of services, pervasive systems are composed of many networked heterogeneous devices with embedded software. In this work, we promote the safe reuse of services in service-based systems using two complementary technologies, Service-Oriented Architecture and Software Product Lines. In order to do this, we extend both the service discovery and composition processes defined in the DAMASCo framework, which currently does not deal with the service variability that constitutes pervasive systems. We use feature models to represent the variability and to self-adapt the services during the composition in a safe way taking context changes into consideration. We illustrate our proposal with a case study related to the driving domain of an Intelligent Transportation System, handling the context information of the environment.Work partially supported by the projects TIN2008-05932, TIN2008-01942, TIN2012-35669, TIN2012-34840 and CSD2007-0004 funded by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER; P09-TIC-05231 and P11-TIC-7659 funded by Andalusian Government; and FP7-317731 funded by EU. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Higher-Order Process Modeling: Product-Lining, Variability Modeling and Beyond

We present a graphical and dynamic framework for binding and execution of business) process models. It is tailored to integrate 1) ad hoc processes modeled graphically, 2) third party services discovered in the (Inter)net, and 3) (dynamically) synthesized process chains that solve situation-specific tasks, with the synthesis taking place not only at design time, but also at runtime. Key to our approach is the introduction of type-safe stacked second-order execution contexts that allow for higher-order process modeling. Tamed by our underlying strict service-oriented notion of abstraction, this approach is tailored also to be used by application experts with little technical knowledge: users can select, modify, construct and then pass (component) processes during process execution as if they were data. We illustrate the impact and essence of our framework along a concrete, realistic (business) process modeling scenario: the development of Springer's browser-based Online Conference Service (OCS). The most advanced feature of our new framework allows one to combine online synthesis with the integration of the synthesized process into the running application. This ability leads to a particularly flexible way of implementing self-adaption, and to a particularly concise and powerful way of achieving variability not only at design time, but also at runtime.Comment: In Proceedings Festschrift for Dave Schmidt, arXiv:1309.455

VANET Applications: Hot Use Cases

Current challenges of car manufacturers are to make roads safe, to achieve free flowing traffic with few congestions, and to reduce pollution by an effective fuel use. To reach these goals, many improvements are performed in-car, but more and more approaches rely on connected cars with communication capabilities between cars, with an infrastructure, or with IoT devices. Monitoring and coordinating vehicles allow then to compute intelligent ways of transportation. Connected cars have introduced a new way of thinking cars - not only as a mean for a driver to go from A to B, but as smart cars - a user extension like the smartphone today. In this report, we introduce concepts and specific vocabulary in order to classify current innovations or ideas on the emerging topic of smart car. We present a graphical categorization showing this evolution in function of the societal evolution. Different perspectives are adopted: a vehicle-centric view, a vehicle-network view, and a user-centric view; described by simple and complex use-cases and illustrated by a list of emerging and current projects from the academic and industrial worlds. We identified an empty space in innovation between the user and his car: paradoxically even if they are both in interaction, they are separated through different application uses. Future challenge is to interlace social concerns of the user within an intelligent and efficient driving

Institutional Challenges in the Data Decade

Throughout the year, the DCC stages regional data management roadshows to present best practice and showcase new tools and resources. This article reports on the second roadshow, organised in conjunction with the White Rose University Consortium and held on 1-3 March 2011 at the University of Sheffield. The goal for Day 1 was to describe the emerging trends and challenges associated with research data management and their potential impact on higher education institutions, and to introduce the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and its role in supporting research data management. This was achieved through a substantial morning presentation followed by an afternoon of illustrative case studies at both disciplinary and institutional levels, highlighting different models, approaches and working practice. Day 2 was aimed at those in senior management roles and looked at strategic and policy implementation objectives. The Day 3 workshop explored data management requirements from the perspective of the institution and the main UK funding bodies, the different roles and responsibilities involved in effective data management and provided an introduction to data management planning. The portfolio of DCC resources, tools and services was explored in greater detail. The roadshow provided delegates with advice and guidance to support institutional Research Data Management and has helped to facilitate regional networking and the exchange of skills and experience

Remote Cell Growth Sensing Using Self-Sustained Bio-Oscillations

A smart sensor system for cell culture real-time supervision is proposed, allowing for a significant reduction in human effort applied to this type of assay. The approach converts the cell culture under test into a suitable “biological” oscillator. The system enables the remote acquisition and management of the “biological” oscillation signals through a secure web interface. The indirectly observed biological properties are cell growth and cell number, which are straightforwardly related to the measured bio-oscillation signal parameters, i.e., frequency and amplitude. The sensor extracts the information without complex circuitry for acquisition and measurement, taking advantage of the microcontroller features. A discrete prototype for sensing and remote monitoring is presented along with the experimental results obtained from the performed measurements, achieving the expected performance and outcomes

Institutional Challenges in the Data Decade

Throughout the year, the DCC stages regional data management roadshows to present best practice and showcase new tools and resources. This article reports on the second roadshow, organised in conjunction with the White Rose University Consortium and held on 1-3 March 2011 at the University of Sheffield. The goal for Day 1 was to describe the emerging trends and challenges associated with research data management and their potential impact on higher education institutions, and to introduce the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and its role in supporting research data management. This was achieved through a substantial morning presentation followed by an afternoon of illustrative case studies at both disciplinary and institutional levels, highlighting different models, approaches and working practice. Day 2 was aimed at those in senior management roles and looked at strategic and policy implementation objectives. The Day 3 workshop explored data management requirements from the perspective of the institution and the main UK funding bodies, the different roles and responsibilities involved in effective data management and provided an introduction to data management planning. The portfolio of DCC resources, tools and services was explored in greater detail. The roadshow provided delegates with advice and guidance to support institutional Research Data Management and has helped to facilitate regional networking and the exchange of skills and experience