An XRI naming system for dynamic and federated clouds: a performance analysis

Abstract Cloud platforms are dynamic, self-optimizing, continuously changing environments where resources can be composed with other ones in order to provide many types of services to their users, e.g., companies, governments, organizations, and desktop/mobile clients. In order to enable cloud platforms to manage and control their assets, they need to name, identify, and resolve their virtual resources in different operating contexts. In such a scenario, naming, resource location, and information retrieval raise several issues regarding name space management. This paper aims to propose a standard practice for the implementation of a cloud naming system based on the eXtensible Resource Identifier (XRI) technology. More specifically, by means of the development of a Cloud Name Space Management (CNSM) front-end interacting with the OpenXRI architecture, we investigate its performance simulating typical cloud name space management tasks

Software defined membrane: policy-driven edge and internet of things security

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the latest web evolution incorporating potentially billions of devices (such as cameras, sensors, RFIDs, smart phones, and wearables), owned by different organizations and by individuals deploying and using them for their own purposes. There are currently 6.4 billion IoT devices in use around the world (according to Gartner). Their number, capabilities, as well as their scope of use keeps growing and changing rapidly. Gartner also forecasts that the number of IoT devices will reach 20.8 billion by 2020, and that IoT service spending will reach 1,534 billion, and hardware spending 1,477 billion by this period. Similarly, the volume of generated data and computing requirements of IoT applications will continue to increase with the increasing pervasiveness of IoT technologies. However, security and data privacy remain major challenges in the use of such devices

Rule-based resource matchmaking for composite application deployments across IoT-fog-cloud continuums

Where shall my new shiny application run? Hundreds of such questions are asked by software engineers who have many cloud services at their disposition, but increasingly also many other hosting options around managed edge devices and fog spectrums, including for functions and container hosting (FaaS/CaaS). Especially for composite applications prevalent in this field, the combinatorial deployment space is exploding. We claim that a systematic and automated approach is unavoidable in order to scale functional decomposition applications further so that each hosting facility is fully exploited. To support engineers while they transition from cloud-native to continuum-native, we provide a rule-based matchmaker called RBMM that combines several decision factors typically present in software description formats and applies rules to them. Using the MaestroNG orchestrator and OsmoticToolkit, we also contribute an integration of the matchmaker into an actual deployment environment

Modeling and emulation of an osmotic computing ecosystem using OsmoticToolkit

Digital services are increasingly becoming cyber-physical and osmotic, combining Cloud resources with Fog, Edge, and IoT devices. This trend can be observed in the e-health domain or in smart city applications where the location of software deployments and data processing matters. Before such applications go live, careful planning with real system emulation is necessary. We claim that the OsmoticToolkit, although in the early stages, is the first emulation environment designed to address this challenge. In this paper, we introduce the emulator’s functionalities and validate experimentally with an e-health scenario, using a reference deployment of a microservice-based hospital application. The experimental results carried out show its effectiveness providing valuable support for understanding the impact on resources, workloads, and Quality of Service requirements within Cloud-Edge/Fog-IoT scenarios while preserving the users’ Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Drivers' workload measures to verify functionality of ferry boats boarding area

Functionality of a square used for ferry boats boarding has repercussions on safety and comfort of users, as well as on the efficiency of maritime transport. Inadequate use of the infrastructure causes driving errors followed by corrective manoeuvres, loss of time and potential accidents with consequences for community and the maritime transport compa-ny. The wide diversification of traffic components and payment methods are generally managed through a traditional horizontal and vertical signage system that does not refer to any current legislation. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate driver's behaviour and the interaction that takes place between the latter and the environ-mental context. In particular, the authors focused on the study of the driver's workload in a simulated environment, considering a users' sample and different driving scenarios inside the boarding area, concerning traffic conditions (isolated vehicle or presence of disturbing vehicles) and signs position. All this, in order to evaluate whether any change in a virtual context could bring real benefits to drivers, before being transferred to the real context. The results obtained, in terms of subjective workload and performance measures, have made it possible to judge the different solutions proposed in a simulated environment through synthetic indices referring to the entire boarding place or at certain parts of it. In this way, the manager can decide to change the circulation of the entire square or only some aspects of detail, such as some signals, in the event that they manifest an evident difficulty in the transfer of infor-mation. The use of the simulated environment allows greater speed in identifying the best solution, lower costs (avoid-ing the creation of a critical configuration for circulation) and greater user safety, since risky manoeuvres are identi-fied and corrected by the simulator. The proposed procedure can be used by managers for a correct arrangement of the signs, for the purpose of correctly directing the flows and maximizing the flow rate disposed of

Mixed n–γ fields dosimetry at low doses by means of different solid state dosimeters

Abstract A Mock-up of the inboard shield of the ITER International nuclear fusion reactor was realized at the Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG) at ENEA Frascati with the scope to measure the nuclear heating (total dose) in the superconducting coils. High sensitivity MCP-6 and MCP-7 dosimeters were used to measure the low

A Cloud-Based System for Improving Retention Marketing Loyalty Programs in Industry 4.0: A Study on Big Data Storage Implications

Nowadays, the growing global economy and demand for customized products are bringing the manufacturing industry from a sellers' market toward a buyers' market. In this context, the smart manufacturing enabled by Industry 4.0 is changing the whole production cycle of companies specialized on different kinds of products. On one hand, the advent of cloud computing and social media makes the customers' experience more and more inclusive, whereas on the other hand cyber-physical system technologies help industries to change in real time the cycle of production according to customers' needs. In this context, "retention" marketing strategies aimed not only at the acquisition of new customers but also at the profitability of existing ones allow industries to apply specific production strategies so as to maximize their revenues. This is possible by means of the analysis of various kinds of information coming from customers, products, purchases, and so on. In this paper, we focus on customer loyalty programs. In particular, we propose cloud-based software as a service architecture that store and analyses big data related to purchases and products' ranks in order to provide customers a list of recommended products. Experiments focus on a prototype of human to machine workflow for the pre-selection of customers deployed on both private and hybrid cloud scenarios

Creating and Managing Dynamic Cloud Federations

Cloud computing has evolved from a promising approach to the service provisioning to the reference model for all new data centres to build. Additionally, an increasing number of companies are choosing to migrate their business in the cloud "ecosystem" adopting the solutions developed by the biggest public Cloud Service Providers (CSPs). Smaller CSPs build their infrastructure on technologies available and to better support user activities and provide enough resources to their users, the federation could be a possible solution. In this work, we present different federation models, showing their strengths and weakness together with our considerations. Beside the highlighted existing federation we show the design of a new implementations under development at INFN aiming at maximising the scalability and flexibility of small and/or hybrid clouds by the introduction of a federation manager. This new component will support a seamless resources renting on the base of acceptance of federation agreements among operators. Additionally, we will discuss how the implementation of this model inside research institutes could help in the field of High Energy Physics with explicit reference at LHC experiments, digital humanities, life sciences and others

A Model for Accomplishing and Managing Dynamic Cloud Federations

Cloud computing is not just a promising approach to the service provisioning: nowadays it represents the reference model in such field. Several cloud service providers have emerged as de facto standards and an increasing number of companies are choosing to migrate their business in the Cloud "ecosystem". Nevertheless, each provider adopts a particular interface to manage its services and uses a proprietary technology. In this paper we present a cloud federation model which is able to provide scalability and flexibility to small clouds. The idea is to benefit of renting seamless resources according to federation agreements among operators. The challenge here is to overcome all the problems raising trying to merge small clouds with heterogeneous administrative domains