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Article
Publication date: 1 May 2005

Tore Fjellheim, Stephen Milliner and Marlon Dumas

Mobile devices have received much research interest in recent years. Mobility raises new issues such as more dynamic context, limited computing resources, and frequent…

Abstract

Mobile devices have received much research interest in recent years. Mobility raises new issues such as more dynamic context, limited computing resources, and frequent disconnections. A middleware infrastructure for mobile computing must handle all these issues properly. In this project we propose a middleware, called 3DMA, to support mobile computing. We introduce three requirements, distribution, decoupling and decomposition as central issues for mobile middleware. 3DMA uses a space based middleware, which facilitates the implementation of decoupled behavior and support for disconnected operation and context awareness. This is done by defining a set of “workers” which are able to act on the users behalf either: to reduce load on the mobile device, and/or to support disconnected behavior. In order to demonstrate aspects of the middleware architecture we then consider the development of a commonly used mobile application.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 June 2008

Ronnie Cheung, Gang Yao, Jiannong Cao and Alvin Chan

Context‐aware mobile computing extends the horizons of the conventional computing model to a ubiquitous computing environment that serves users at anytime, anywhere. To achieve…

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Abstract

Purpose

Context‐aware mobile computing extends the horizons of the conventional computing model to a ubiquitous computing environment that serves users at anytime, anywhere. To achieve this, mobile applications need to adapt their behaviors to the changing context. The purpose of this paper is to present a generalized adaptive middleware infrastructure for context‐aware computing.

Design/methodology/approach

Owing to the vague nature of context and uncertainty in context aggregation for making adaptation decisions, the paper proposes a fuzzy‐based service adaptation model (FSAM) to improve the generality and effectiveness of service adaptation using fuzzy theory.

Findings

By the means of fuzzification of the context and measuring the fitness degree between the current context and the predefined optimal context, FSAM selects the most suitable policy to adopt for the most appropriate service. The paper evaluates the middleware together with the FSAM inference engine by using a Campus Assistant application.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in presenting a generalized adaptive middleware infrastructure for context‐aware computing and also comparing the performance of the fuzzy‐based solution with a conventional threshold‐based approach for context‐aware adaptation.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2012

Huber Flores, Satish Narayana Srirama and Carlos Paniagua

Cloud computing becomes mobile when a mobile device tries to access the shared pool of computing resources provided by the cloud, on demand. Mobile applications may enrich their…

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Abstract

Purpose

Cloud computing becomes mobile when a mobile device tries to access the shared pool of computing resources provided by the cloud, on demand. Mobile applications may enrich their functionality by delegating heavy tasks to the clouds as the remote processing and storage have become possible by adding asynchronous behavior in the communication. However, developing mobile cloud applications involves working with services and APIs from different cloud vendors, which mostly are not interoperable across clouds. Moreover, by adding asynchronicity, mobile applications must rely on push mechanisms which are considered to be moderately reliable, and thus not recommended in scenarios that require high scalability and quality of service (QoS). To counter these problems, and the purpose of this paper, is to design a middleware framework, Mobile Cloud Middleware (MCM), which handles the interoperability issues and eases the use of process‐intensive services from smartphones by extending the concept of mobile host.

Design/methodology/approach

MCM is developed as an intermediary between the mobile and the cloud, which hides the complexity of dealing with multiple cloud services from mobiles. Several applications are presented to show the benefits of mobiles going cloud‐aware. Moreover, to verify the scalability of MCM, load tests are performed on the hybrid cloud resources using well known load balancing mechanisms like HAProxy and Tsung.

Findings

From the study it was found that it is possible to handle hybrid cloud services from mobiles by using MCM. The analysis demonstrated that the MCM shows reasonable performance levels of interaction with the user, thus validating the proof of concept. Moreover, MCM decreases the effort in developing mobile cloud applications and helps in keeping soft‐real time responses by using its asynchronous approach.

Originality/value

MCM fosters the utilization of different types of cloud services rather than the traditional mobile cloud services based on data synchronization. By offloading heavy tasks to the clouds, the framework extends the processing power and storage space capabilities of the constrained smart phones. The applications mentioned in the paper bring an added value by being success stories for mobile cloud computing domain in general.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2012

Antonio Ghezzi, Marcelo Nogueira Cortimiglia and Rafaello Balocco

This paper seeks to propose a technology classification model for mobile content and service delivery platforms (MCSDPs), the core of mobile middleware technology providers'

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to propose a technology classification model for mobile content and service delivery platforms (MCSDPs), the core of mobile middleware technology providers' (MMTPs) value proposition.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model is grounded on existing literature and empirical research consisting of 40 in‐depth case studies with MMTPs and 102 semi‐structured interviews with top management from firms operating in the mobile content environment that already own or are interested in purchasing a MCSDP. Theoretical sampling was employed. The quality function deployment (QFD) technique was used to create the final technology classification schema.

Findings

The MCSDP technology classification model has three components: a MCSDP functional architecture, which describes platform structure in terms of its endowment of functionalities and capabilities; a MCSD classification schema, which allows the identification of a set of platform categories classified according to the range of functionalities usually possessed; and a technology classification schema consisting of a set of technology dimensions that directly influence platform efficiency and effectiveness.

Practical implications

The proposed model can be used for mapping existing and future MCSDP offer in terms of technological strengths and weaknesses and thus support decision‐making by platform vendors and buyers.

Originality/value

The main contribution is the creation of a reference framework capable of rigorously modelling the emergent phenomenon related to the rise of middleware platform providers within the mobile content environment. The paper also contributes to extending the existing QFD literature, since it demonstrates the house of quality tool's usefulness in a new context of application.

Article
Publication date: 22 November 2011

Satish Narayana Srirama

Web services are going mobile. A mobile enterprise can be established in a cellular network by participating mobile hosts, which act as web service providers, and their clients…

Abstract

Purpose

Web services are going mobile. A mobile enterprise can be established in a cellular network by participating mobile hosts, which act as web service providers, and their clients. Mobile hosts enable seamless integration of user‐specific services to the enterprise, by following web service standards, also on the radio link and via resource constrained smart phones. However, establishing such a mobile enterprise poses several technical challenges, such as the quality of service (QoS), discovery aspects and proper integration solutions, for the network as well as for the mobile phone users. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the challenges and research associated with this domain and with establishing the mobile enterprise.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper summarizes the challenges and research in the mobile web services domain, along with a detailed discussion of the developed mobile web service mediation framework (MWSMF). MWSMF is realized based on the enterprise service bus (ESB) technology, as an intermediary between mobile hosts and web service clients. Moreover, to scale the mobile enterprise to the loads possible in cellular networks, some of the components of MWSMF are shifted to the new utility computing paradigm, cloud computing.

Findings

From the study it was found that ESB provides a good integration solution for the mobile enterprise research challenges. The detailed analysis of the MWSMF concludes that the mediation framework and its components are horizontally scalable, thus allowing to utilize elasticity of cloud platform to meet load requirements of mobile enterprise in an easy and quick manner.

Originality/value

The study addresses the research with providing services from smart phones and establishing mobile enterprise. The QoS challenges are addressed and the study introduces an integration framework using ESB technology. The porting of MWSMF onto the cloud is also addressed. As an added value, the research serves as a case study for porting enterprise applications to the cloud.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 June 2012

G.S. Thyagaraju and U.P. Kulkarni

The purpose of this paper is to propose an intelligent service recommendation model. The paper formulates the service adaptation process by using artificial intelligence…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an intelligent service recommendation model. The paper formulates the service adaptation process by using artificial intelligence techniques like Bayesian Network, fuzzy logic and rule based reasoning.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors formulate the service adaptation process by using artificial intelligence techniques like Bayesian Network, fuzzy logic and rule based reasoning. Bayesian Network is used to classify the incoming call (high priority call, low priority call and unknown calls), fuzzy linguistic variables and membership degrees to define the context situations, the rules for adopting the policies of implementing a service, fitness degree computation and service recommendation. In addition to this the paper proposes maximum to minimum priority based context attributes matching algorithm for rule selection based on fitness degree of rules. The context aware mobile is tested for library and class room scenario to exemplify the proposed service recommendation engine and demonstrate its effectiveness.

Findings

First, it was found that there was reduction in application searching time in different contexts. For example, if user enters into the library, the proposed mobile will be adapted to the library situation automatically by configuring its desktop and internal settings to facilitate the library services like book search, web link, silent mode and friends search. Second, the design of the recommendation engine, utilizing contextual parameters like Location (class room, college campus, house, etc.) Personal (age, name), Temporal (time, date), Physical (fall, normal), and schedule agendas, was found to be of importance.

Originality/value

Exploitation of hybrid fuzzy system, Bayesian Networks and the utility theory (usage history and context history) for modeling and implementation.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2015

Chii Chang, Satish Narayana Srirama and Sea Ling

Recent smart mobile devices are capable of letting users produce various digital content, and share/upload the content to many social network services (SNS) directly via wireless…

Abstract

Purpose

Recent smart mobile devices are capable of letting users produce various digital content, and share/upload the content to many social network services (SNS) directly via wireless network connections. The phenomenon has increased the number of people using mobile SNS applications. Although the applications have become more popular, mobile users have been restricted in the virtual communities of online SNS and are not aware of the social opportunities available to them in real-time surrounding. While they spend most of their time accessing online SNS, they have missed many opportunities to interact with others for new friendships, business opportunities or information sharing. Consequently, a new breed of mobile social network (MSN) system has arisen to assist mobile users to interact with proximal people and perform various social activities. Such a proximal-based MSN environment is termed a Mobile Social Network in Proximity (MSNP).

Design/methodology/approach

Developing an MSNP system needs to address a number of issues and challenges, such as heterogeneity, content/service discovery, privacy and trust, resource management, and so on. This paper identifies and describes these challenges, and reviews a number of related solutions from existing literature. In the follow up, this paper addresses a number of open challenges in the MSNP domain.

Findings

Although various works have been proposed to enable and overcome challenges in MSNP, there are still many unsolved open challenges in terms of identification, content management, social-aware discovery, trust in public environment, adaptation, quality of service and the development of MSNP. We have addressed these challenges in this paper as future research directions in the MSNP domain.

Originality/value

This paper provides an original literature review in MSNP and identifies a number of open challenges as research direction in the MSNP domain.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 March 2012

Makhlouf Derdour, Philippe Roose, Marc Dalmau and Nacira Ghoualmi‐Zine

The purpose of this paper is to present a supervised adaptation platform for applications‐based components.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a supervised adaptation platform for applications‐based components.

Design/methodology/approach

The platform is designed using a model based top‐down approach. The authors use UML diagrams and particularly scenarios and activity diagrams.

Findings

The CSC (component, service and connector) platform is based on a component/service model that allows adaptation of component‐based applications and uses service‐oriented architecture for providing adaptation services to be embedded in adaptation connectors.

Originality/value

The paper proposes CSC, a self‐adaptation platform based on MMSA, to describe software architectures for multimedia‐oriented application and providing adaptation capabilities. The platform is based on services and offer architecture, with three layers particularly adapted to adaptation of multimedia flow (types, formats, properties) and which allows solving the heterogeneity problems of components.

Details

Journal of Systems and Information Technology, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1328-7265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2006

Daniel Pakkala and Juhani Latvakoski

A novel distributed middleware service platform, called MidGate platform, is presented in this paper. The central contribution is description of the developed MidGate platform and…

Abstract

A novel distributed middleware service platform, called MidGate platform, is presented in this paper. The central contribution is description of the developed MidGate platform and its architecture focusing especially on the adaptation, context‐awareness, and personalization of mobile and pervasive services. The research problem addressed is how to facilitate the development of interoperable applications and services into heterogeneous and distributed service gateway based environments. A requirement analysis of future mobile and pervasive services and key technologies has been carried out to establish a solid base and requirements for the development of the MidGate platform. The key mechanisms supporting adaptation, context‐awareness, and personalization of applications and services are presented. The novel middleware architecture solution of the MidGate platform utilizing these key mechanisms is also described. The MidGate architecture utilizes the emerging Generic Service Elements (GSE) approach, where generic and collectively utilizable services are provided to applications as middleware services that are part of a service platform. The main contribution of this research is the definition of a set of GSEs, the related MidGate platform architecture and its evaluation. The evaluation of the MidGate platform has been carried out in series of laboratory prototypes. The evaluation indicates that the MidGate platform solution is well applicable in various service gateway‐based distributed systems and extends well into resource‐constrained mobile environments.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2006

Mohammed Ganna and Eric Horlait

Current networks are providing plenty of services that users can access and use. These services are more and more pervasive and deployed in different networks distributed across…

Abstract

Current networks are providing plenty of services that users can access and use. These services are more and more pervasive and deployed in different networks distributed across an environment. This raises the problem of managing such environments in order to grant access to services from anywhere and to adapt the environment’s networks to dynamic changes. Also, there is a need of an autonomous behavior to reduce human intervention and assure environment’s consistency. This autonomous and distributed behavior leads to the definition and integration of existing and new technologies to enable autonomous distributed management. This is fulfilled by providing paradigms that bring awareness about the surroundings and enabled tools to manage and adapt the environment’s resources. The main problem is to dynamically provide auto‐configuration of networks to deal with the frequent changes which results from users’ roaming, changing services constraints, and changing services themselves, and adding, upgrading or removing policies. The outcome of these issues is a dynamic system with complex management. Hence, this paper proposes the integration of different techniques to provide an autonomous, distributed, and secure management including auto‐configuration, adaptation, and auto‐protection of pervasive environments. Then, policies control the behavior of the environment, devices configuration and the enforcement of security mechanisms to protect sensitive data. Also, mobile agents are employed to distribute management tasks across the distributed environment. In order to provide auto‐protection capabilities, the autonomous behavior of the environment have to be secured. Actually, this security issue is addressed by defining an agent‐based Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) with X.509 certificates. The agent ensures then that the security functions are applied across all the distributed networks, where specific agents are responsible for conveying necessary information and certificates to local environments. Finally, the paper proposes a semantic‐based privacy management approach using ontologies to decide how privacy information is handled in the environment.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

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