SAMI: Service-Based Arbitrated Multi-Tier Infrastructure for Mobile Cloud Computing

Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) is the state-ofthe- art mobile computing technology aims to alleviate resource poverty of mobile devices. Recently, several approaches and techniques have been proposed to augment mobile devices by leveraging cloud computing. However, long-WAN latency and trust are still two major issues in MCC that hinder its vision. In this paper, we analyze MCC and discuss its issues. We leverage Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to propose an arbitrated multi-tier infrastructure model named SAMI for MCC. Our architecture consists of three major layers, namely SOA, arbitrator, and infrastructure. The main strength of this architecture is in its multi-tier infrastructure layer which leverages infrastructures from three main sources of Clouds, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and MNOs' authorized dealers. On top of the infrastructure layer, an arbitrator layer is designed to classify Services and allocate them the suitable resources based on several metrics such as resource requirement, latency and security. Utilizing SAMI facilitate development and deployment of service-based platform-neutral mobile applications.Comment: 6 full pages, accepted for publication in IEEE MobiCC'12 conference, MobiCC 2012:IEEE Workshop on Mobile Cloud Computing, Beijing, Chin

Bayesian Learning Networks Approach to Cybercrime Detection

The growing dependence of modern society on telecommunication and information networks has become inevitable. The increase in the number of interconnected networks to the Internet has led to an increase in security threats and cybercrimes such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Any Internet based attack typically is prefaced by a reconnaissance probe process, which might take just a few minutes, hours, days, or even months before the attack takes place. In order to detect distributed network attacks as early as possible, an under research and development probabilistic approach, which is known by Bayesian networks has been proposed. This paper shows how probabilistically Bayesian network detects communication network attacks, allowing for generalization of Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDSs). Learning Agents which deploy Bayesian network approach are considered to be a promising and useful tool in determining suspicious early events of Internet threats and consequently relating them to the following occurring activities.Peer reviewe

Mobile Cloud Computing: A Review on Smartphone Augmentation Approaches

Smartphones have recently gained significant popularity in heavy mobile processing while users are increasing their expectations toward rich computing experience. However, resource limitations and current mobile computing advancements hinder this vision. Therefore, resource-intensive application execution remains a challenging task in mobile computing that necessitates device augmentation. In this article, smartphone augmentation approaches are reviewed and classified in two main groups, namely hardware and software. Generating high-end hardware is a subset of hardware augmentation approaches, whereas conserving local resource and reducing resource requirements approaches are grouped under software augmentation methods. Our study advocates that consreving smartphones' native resources, which is mainly done via task offloading, is more appropriate for already-developed applications than new ones, due to costly re-development process. Cloud computing has recently obtained momentous ground as one of the major cornerstone technologies in augmenting smartphones. We present sample execution model for intensive mobile applications and devised taxonomy of augmentation approaches. For better comprehension, the results of this study are summarized in a table

Directory-based incentive management services for ad-hoc mobile clouds

Mobile cloud computing is envisioned as a promising approach to augment the computational capabilities of mobile devices for emerging resource-intensive mobile applications. This augmentation is generally achieved through the capabilities of stationary resources in cloud data centers. However, these resources are mostly not free and sometimes not available. Mobile devices are becoming powerful day by day and can form a self-organizing mobile ad-hoc network of nearby devices and offer their resources as on-demand services to available nodes in the network. In the ad-hoc mobile cloud, devices can move after consuming or providing services to one another. During this process, the problem of incentives arises for a node to provide service to another device (or other devices) in the network, which ultimately decreases the motivation of the mobile device to form an ad-hoc mobile cloud. To solve this problem, we propose a directory-based architecture that keeps track of the retribution and reward valuations (in terms of energy saved and consumed) for devices even after they move from one ad-hoc environment to another. From simulation results, we infer that this framework increases the motivation for mobile devices to form a self-organizing proximate mobile cloud network and to share their resources in the network

Quality teacher : national aspiration to develop human capital for a knowledge-based economy

Teaching is one of the most challenging and one of the most important jobs in our society. Teachers play the role of producing knowledgeable students with good personality. Quality of a teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. In order to solve the problems of shortage of teachers, government had recruited many teachers with different qualification. Government should make sure that the teachers meet the minimum requirement before letting them to enter the education field. We should not only focus on the quantity and neglect the quality of the teachers. Qualities of teachers should be measured from five categories which had stated in the National Education Philosophy- Physical, emotion, spiritual, intellectual and social. Physically healthy, high emotional intelligence, high spirituality, high intellectual and good social skills are the criteria of a quality teacher. Test should be conducted based on these aspects, such as IQ test for intellectual and EQ test for emotion, to determine the quality of a teacher. Only those who achieve good results in all these aspects are considered as a quality teacher. Better pay as well as promotion should be given to them

Quality teacher nation's aspiration : expectation vs. reality

Education in Malaysia is on-going efforts towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonic, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. Effective teachers are repeatedly listed as fair, democratic, respectful, caring, consistent and good listeners. They are stimulating, creative and confident. They know the students both academically and personally. They have knowledge of what they teach and model strategies of good instruction. However, the quality of teachers in our country is being questioned. The requirements to be a teacher are not standardized. Moreover, there are some of the remark made with regards to our teachers are not very flattering, they have included being "very poor in communication, disinterested in teaching and look down to their peers as well as being of poor quality because the new recruits are that of graduates who were not able to seek employment elsewhere." Over the last 5-8 years, many colleagues have been converted to universities in the country in a bid to improve the "quality of education" and increase the number of degree graduates. What the conversion has managed to do is to successfully increase the number of degree graduates but without being able to significantly improve the quality of education. Hence we are getting diploma graduates masked as degree holders

Service Management Systems and MS ISO based products : a reflection.

The MS ISO system is working towards creating a culture of an environment of teamwork by following principles, rules and etiquettes which stresses on the quality of process and products services. The quality excellence of the organization service processes are monitored by an Internal Audit mechanism, which is simultaneously integrated with coaching activities during document examinations to maintain service process and product excellence. This reflection has become a part of the quality evaluation system to ensure work processes which are more sensitive to the improvement effort which focuses on efficiency, punctuality and costs effectiveness

Teachers' teaching status and achievements of students of teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) in primary and rural secondary schools.

This study is done through observation of the teaching and learning process in classrooms involving 183 Primary School Teachers and 241 Rural Secondary School Teachers. The main objectives of the study are to; (1) measure teachers' teaching status in Science and Mathematics subjects, (2) evaluate students potential in mastering the contents or in Science and Mathematics achievement, and to (3) determine the status of Computer Technology usage cum the teaching support materials in Science and Mathematics subjects. A total of 4410 primary school students and 4946 secondary school students are involved in the study by sitting for two types of Standard Tests for the primary schools, i.e. the Science and Mathematics while in the secondary students' case, 5 types of Standard Tests are implemented, i.e. Mixed Science, Modern Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Additional Mathematics. The primary schools are categorized in 7 types of schools, while the secondary schools on the other hand are categorized in 6 types of schools. The results of the study shows that 42.5 percent of primary school teachers and 50.8 percent of secondary school teachers failed in the English Language Proficiency Level Evaluation. This situation is critical as it directly affects the pedagogy and teaching efficiency using English as the teaching medium. The teachers teaching observation status through the researchers shows that the beginning of teacher's teaching is average (min=5.1), interaction between teachers and students are also average (min=5.2), interaction between students and teachers are poor (min=3.8), Computer Technology usage is at average level (min=5.7) and the English Language within teachers are average (min=5.5). Generally, the teachers' teaching status is poor (min=4.9;sp=1.8) and the level of Computer Technology usage as teaching support materials are at average level (min=5.7;sp=1.7). The results of the study shows that the PPSMI teachers possess average competency (min=5.3). The effectiveness in the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics mainly relies on the teachers' command in the English language. Students in urban schools produced better achievement results compared to the students in rural schools based on 12 tested subjects tested, whereby students in rural schools are left behind in 10 subjects (except in Physics 1 and Chemistry 1) with the average mark difference of between 3.3 to 19.7. Through the whole study, students in secondary schools and primary schools in rural areas are behind in PPSMI