On the investigation of cloud-based mobile media environments with service-populating and QoS-aware mechanisms

Recent advances in mobile devices and network technologies have set new trends in the way we use computers and access networks. Cloud Computing, where processing and storage resources are residing on the network is one of these trends. The other is Mobile Computing, where mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are believed to replace personal computers by combining network connectivity, mobility, and software functionality. In the future, these devices are expected to seamlessly switch between different network providers using vertical handover mechanisms in order to maintain network connectivity at all times. This will enable mobile devices to access Cloud Services without interruption as users move around. Using current service delivery models, mobile devices moving from one geographical location to another will keep accessing those services from the local Cloud of their previous network, which might lead to moving a large volume of data over the Internet backbone over long distances. This scenario highlights the fact that user mobility will result in more congestion on the Internet. This will degrade the Quality of Service and by extension, the Quality of Experience offered by the services in the Cloud and especially multimedia services that have very tight temporal constraints in terms of bandwidth and jitter. We believe that a different approach is required to manage resources more efficiently, while improving the Quality of Service and Media Service Delivery in which services run on localised public Clouds and are capable of populating other public Clouds in different geographical locations depending on service demands and network status. Using an analytical framework, this paper argues that as the demand for specific services increases in a location, it might be more efficient to move those services closer to that location. This will prevent the Internet backbone from experiencing high traffic loads due to multimedia streams and will offer service pr- viders an automated resource allocation and management mechanism for their services

A survey of potential architectures for communication in heterogeneous networks

An increasingly wireless world will mean that devices with multiple network interfaces will soon become commonplace. Users will expect to be always connected from anywhere and at any time as connections will be switched to available networks using handover techniques. However, different networks have different Qualities-of-Service so a Quality-of-Service Framework is needed to help applications and services deal with this new environment. In addition, since these networks must work together, future mobile systems will have an open, instead of the currently closed, architecture. Therefore new mechanisms will be needed to protect users, servers and network infrastructure. This means that future mobile networks will have to integrate communications, mobility, quality-of service and security. This paper provides an overview of potential architectures for communication in future networks. Our study shows that only a number of these architectures support this integration

Developing a comprehensive information security framework for mHealth: a detailed analysis

It has been clearly shown that mHealth solutions, which is the use of mobile devices and other wireless technology to provide healthcare services, deliver more patient-focused healthcare, and improve the overall efficiency of healthcare systems. In addition, these solutions can potentially reduce the cost of providing healthcare in the context of the increasing demands of the aging populations in advanced economies. These solutions can also play an important part in intelligent environments, facilitating real-time data collection and input to enable various functionalities. However, there are several challenges regarding the development of mHealth solutions: the most important of these being privacy and data security. Furthermore, the use of cloud computing is becoming an option for the healthcare sector to store healthcare data; but storing data in the cloud raises serious concerns. This paper investigates how data are managed both on mHealth devices as well as in the cloud. Firstly, a detailed analysis of the entire mHealth domain is undertaken to determine domain-specific features and a taxonomy for mHealth, from which a set of security requirements are identified in order to develop a new information security framework. It then examines individual information security frameworks for mHealth devices and the cloud, noting similarities and differences. Furthermore, key mechanisms to implement the new framework are discussed and the new framework is then presented. Finally, the paper presents how the new framework could be implemented in order to develop an Advanced Digital Medical Platform

SecA, a remarkable nanomachine

Biological cells harbor a variety of molecular machines that carry out mechanical work at the nanoscale. One of these nanomachines is the bacterial motor protein SecA which translocates secretory proteins through the protein-conducting membrane channel SecYEG. SecA converts chemically stored energy in the form of ATP into a mechanical force to drive polypeptide transport through SecYEG and across the cytoplasmic membrane. In order to accommodate a translocating polypeptide chain and to release transmembrane segments of membrane proteins into the lipid bilayer, SecYEG needs to open its central channel and the lateral gate. Recent crystal structures provide a detailed insight into the rearrangements required for channel opening. Here, we review our current understanding of the mode of operation of the SecA motor protein in concert with the dynamic SecYEG channel. We conclude with a new model for SecA-mediated protein translocation that unifies previous conflicting data

Dynamic traffic management for interactive cloud services: localising traffic based on network throughput and user mobility

Traffic localisation is an important aspect of traffic management on the Internet. The caching of content and its distribution from localised servers is one mechanism that enables traffic localisation and reduces transit costs for network providers while enhancing service performance. However, personalized, dynamic user content is often un-cacheable due to its nature. As we move towards a world of constantly connected mobile devices, these devices will focus more towards Cloud services as a means of adding capabilities that would otherwise be impossible to have in a small mobile package. This leaves us with the potential problem of having to deal with un-cacheable traffic from real-time interactive Cloud services that causes congestion on a global scale. In this paper we present a solution that considers the scenario of an interactive, personal service running on the Cloud and accessed by a mobile user. We attempt to localise traffic by moving the virtual machine in response to the user's estimated network dwell time. Results gathered from a prototype platform are presented as proof of the concept

Workflows recognition through multi agents in surveillance systems

International audienceWorkflow management systems exactly enact business procedures and processes described in a process description language. This strict adherence to the prescribed workflow makes it impossible for the system to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Surveillance systems have unpredicted information especially in difficult environments like the industrial ones. In this paper, we are presenting a workflow recognition architecture through the use of a multi agent system that controls and evaluates the recognized processes from the surveillance algorithms and adaptively creates environment warnings or alarms. The related methodology is based on Java technologies which are presented and latest innovations from the multi agents and workflow processes composition

Connected vehicle testbed: development & deployment of C-ITS in the UK

The age of the connected vehicle is rapidly dawning. This will allow us to revolutionise both our transport and communication infrastructures. In terms of transport, connected vehicles will enable an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) to be built which will lead to better traffic and road management, shorter journey times, less accidents, better collision avoidance mechanisms and increased efficiency in the management of transport disasters. In terms of communication, this means that the mobile phone will no longer be the only major communication device for the user, as the connected vehicle will also be viewed as a first class communication object. Hence, applications will be able to migrate between the phone and the vehicle as people move around. In order to understand this coming age, it is necessary to build new technologies, testbeds and applications that will give us insight into this brave new world. Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) or ITS-G5 provide low-latency and high bandwidth enabling life-critical safety and infotainment applications to be developed. There is also a need to integrate VANET/ITS-G5 technology with emerging standards such as 5G. [...