Software systems dealing with distributed applications in changing environments normally require human supervision to continue operation in all conditions. These (re-)configuring, troubleshooting, and in general maintenance tasks lead to costly and time-consuming procedures during the operating phase. These problems are primarily due to the open-loop structure often followed in software development. Therefore, there is a high demand for management complexity reduction, management automation, robustness, and achieving all of the desired quality requirements within a reasonable cost and time range during operation. Self-adaptive software is a response to these demands; it is a closed-loop system with a feedback loop aiming to adjust itself to changes during its operation. These changes may stem from the software system's self (internal causes, e.g., failure) or context (external events, e.g., increasing requests from users). Such a system is required to monitor itself and its context, detect significant changes, decide how to react, and act to execute such decisions. These processes depend on adaptation properties (called self-a properties), domain characteristics (context information or models), and preferences of stakeholders. Noting these requirements, it is widely believed that new models and frameworks are needed to design self-adaptive software. This survey article presents a taxonomy, based on concerns of adaptation, that is, how, what, when and where, towards providing a unified view of this emerging area. Moreover, as adaptive systems are encountered in many disciplines, it is imperative to learn from the theories and models developed in these other areas. This survey article presents a landscape of research in self-adaptive software by highlighting relevant disciplines and some prominent research projects. This landscape helps to identify the underlying research gaps and elaborates on the corresponding challenges.

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Self-adaptive software: Landscape and research challenges

Data is secured in a computer network to transparently establish and manage a separation of user-based communities of interest based upon crypto-graphically separated, need to know, security levels. Data from a source document, data object or data stream is filtered to form subsets of extracted data and remainder data based upon security levels for the communities. Extracts are stored in assigned memories. Full or partial plaintext reconstruction is permitted only in the presence of assigned security clearance for the community of the inquiring party. Encryption, corresponding to security levels, establishes separation of secured data. The information processing system uses a data filter to extract security sensitive words, data objects, etc., a distributed storage system and a compiler is used to reconstruct plaintext based on security clearance. Multiple level encryption in one document is also available.

Data security system and method for separation of user communities

The method, program and system secures sensitive data/objects found in a data source document with an editor. The simple editor identifies and displays, in situ, the sensitive words/objects per each security level. Level tags are inserted and adjunctive words/objects are marked/displayed per the level's protocol. The precursor document is processed to extract sensitive and adjunctive words/objects. The stripped data is either separately stored or partial versions of the secured document are stored per protocol. A comprehensive editor secures content data and meta data contained in a data document object model (DOM). The editor maps the source document root, branch and leaf components as binary files populated with content data and meta data. Security introns, earlier identified based upon the level's informational attributes, are excluded. Security exons are copied from the source content and meta data binary files into a security safe document (template). Filtration, extraction, dispersal and storage follow.

Data security system and method with editor

The method for securing data includes establishing a group of security sensitive items, filtering data and extracting and separating the security items from remainder data. The filtered data are separately stored (locally on a PC or on another computer in a LAN or WAN or on the Internet.) A map may be generated. The filter and/or map may be destroyed or stored. The data input, extracted data and remainder data may be deleted from the originating computer. Encryption may be utilized to enhance security (including transfers of data, filter and map). Reconstruction of the data is permitted only in the presence of a predetermined security clearance. A plurality of security clearances may be used to enable a corresponding plurality of partial, reconstructed views of the plaintext (omitting higher security words). A computer readable medium containing programming instructions and an information processing system is encompassed.

Data security system and method

An adaptive method, system and program for securing data against a plurality of electronic and environmental events directed at computers utilizes a hacking monitor which generates attack warnings (such as a hacking warning) dependent upon the severity of the attack. Based upon these warnings, data is filtered to extract security sensitive words etc. and the extract and remainder data (if necessary) is stored in assigned memory. Full or partial reconstruction is permitted, manually or automatically, with a security clearance. Encryption is typically used dependent upon the warning. The information processing system includes a filter which is adjusted based upon the degree of attack warning to extract security sensitive words. A storage system stores extracted data and remainder data (if necessary) based upon the level of the warning and a compiler is used to reconstruct the data in the presence of the appropriate security clearance level.

Data security system and method responsive to electronic attacks

A method, computer program product, and apparatus for providing context-aware automatic e-mail filtering and reply generation based on message semantics, sender's e-mail ID, and the user's identity is provided. In one embodiment, e-mail received from objectionable sources as determined by the sender's ID or the IP address from which the e-mail originate are deleted. In other embodiments, e-mail containing objectionable content as determined by the presence of objectionable words or phrases or by an objectionable score determined by assigning weights to various words and phrases that exceeds a threshold value. Other embodiments allow for attachments to be forwarded to a parent or system administrator and approval received from the parent or system administrator prior to allowing access to the attachment by the recipient.

Method and apparatus for providing automatic e-mail filtering based on message semantics, sender's e-mail ID, and user's identity

A software facility for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, includes a module for selectively adding, deleting, and editing a location object, and a module for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on the location object. The location object represents all location-specific information for the portable device and includes an information object including information management tasks that must be performed for a specific location for the portable device to connect to a remote network.

Method and apparatus for a centralized facility for administering and performing connectivity and information management tasks for a mobile user

Autonomic personal computing is personal computing on autonomic computing platforms. Its goals combine those of personal computing with those of autonomic computing. The challenge of personal autonomic computing is to simplify and enhance the end-user experience, delighting the user by anticipating his or her needs in the face of a complex, dynamic, and uncertain environment. In this paper we identify the key technologies that enable autonomic behavior as distinguished from fault-tolerant behavior. We give some examples of current autonomic behavior and some general considerations for an architecture that supports autonomic personal computing. We identify its challenges to standards and technology developers and conclude with some guidance for future work.

Autonomic personal computing

The present invention introduces the notion of a route provider that efficiently and automatically helps and rewards drivers for traversing optimal driving routes. In particular, described is a technique for receiving one or more conditions and criteria associated with map directions over a computer network from a service bureau. The route provider or a third party may reward drivers for traversing preferred routes.

System and method for driving directions based on non-map criteria

The authenticity of a website is tested with software that runs on a personal computing device and a service that is provided via the Internet. The software on the personal computing device is in the form of a proxy, or transparent component in the Internet Protocol implementation. The proxy receives all outbound messages, analyzes them and forwards or modifies them without the user's intervention. The service tests the IP address and/or the behavior of the target website.

Steven J. Mastrianni

Papers

Method and apparatus for providing automatic e-mail filtering based on message semantics, sender's e-mail ID, and user's identity

Method and apparatus for a centralized facility for administering and performing connectivity and information management tasks for a mobile user

Autonomic personal computing

System and method for driving directions based on non-map criteria

Internet site authentication service