Showing papers on "Differentiated service published in 2003"

Service-oriented computing: concepts, characteristics and directions

Abstract: Service-oriented computing (SOC) is the computing paradigm that utilizes services as fundamental elements for developing applications/solutions. To build the service model, SOC relies on the service oriented architecture (SOA), which is a way of reorganizing software applications and infrastructure into a set of interacting services. However, the basic SOA does not address overarching concerns such as management, service orchestration, service transaction management and coordination, security, and other concerns that apply to all components in a service architecture. In this paper we introduce an extended service oriented architecture that provides separate tiers for composing and coordinating services and for managing services in an open marketplace by employing grid services.

Quality driven web services composition

Abstract: The process-driven composition of Web services is emerging as a promising approach to integrate business applications within and across organizational boundaries. In this approach, individual Web services are federated into composite Web services whose business logic is expressed as a process model. The tasks of this process model are essentially invocations to functionalities offered by the underlying component services. Usually, several component services are able to execute a given task, although with different levels of pricing and quality. In this paper, we advocate that the selection of component services should be carried out during the execution of a composite service, rather than at design-time. In addition, this selection should consider multiple criteria (e.g., price, duration, reliability), and it should take into account global constraints and preferences set by the user (e.g., budget constraints). Accordingly, the paper proposes a global planning approach to optimally select component services during the execution of a composite service. Service selection is formulated as an optimization problem which can be solved using efficient linear programming methods. Experimental results show that this global planning approach outperforms approaches in which the component services are selected individually for each task in a composite service.

The Self-Serv environment for Web services composition

Abstract: Self-Serv aims to enable the declarative composition of new services from existing ones, the multiattribute dynamic selection of services within a composition, and peer-to-peer orchestration of composite service executions. Self-Serv adopts the principle that every service, whether elementary or composite, should provide a programmatic interface based on SOAP and the Web Service Definition Language. This does not exclude the possibility of integrating legacy applications, such as those written in CORBA, into the service's business logic. To integrate such applications, however, first requires the development of appropriate adapters. The paper considers how the mechanism for composing services in Self-Serv is based on two major concepts: the composite service and the service container.

Differentiated surveillance for sensor networks

Abstract: For many sensor network applications such as military surveillance, it is necessary to provide full sensing coverage to a security-sensitive area while at the same time minimizing energy consumption and extending system lifetime by leveraging the redundant deployment of sensor nodes. It is also preferable for the sensor network to provide differentiated surveillance service for various target areas with different degrees of security requirements. In this paper, we propose a differentiated surveillance service for sensor networks based on an adaptable energy-efficient sensing coverage protocol. In the protocol, each node is able to dynamically decide a schedule for itself to guarantee a certain degree of coverage (DOC) with average energy consumption inversely proportional to the node density. Several optimizations and extensions are proposed to provide even better performance. Simulation shows that our protocol accomplishes differentiated surveillance with low energy consumption. It outperforms other state-of-the-art schemes by as much as 50% reduction in energy consumption and as much as 130% increase in the half-life of the network.

Model-based resource provisioning in a web service utility

Abstract: Internet service utilities host multiple server applications on a shared server cluster. A key challenge for these systems is to provision shared resources on demand to meet service quality targets at least cost. This paper presents a new approach to utility resource management focusing on coordinated provisioning of memory and storage resources. Our approach is model-based: it incorporates internal models of service behavior to predict the value of candidate resource allotments under changing load. The model-based approach enables the system to achieve important resource management goals, including differentiated service quality, performance isolation, storage-aware caching, and proactive allocation of surplus resources to meet performance goals. Experimental results with a prototype demonstrate model-based dynamic provisioning under Web workloads with static content.

Performance management for cluster based Web services

Abstract: We present an architecture and prototype implementation of a performance management system for cluster-based Web services. The system supports multiple classes of Web services traffic and allocates server resources dynamically so to maximize the expected value of a given cluster utility function in the face of fluctuating loads. The cluster utility is a function of the performance delivered to the various classes, and this leads to Differentiated Service. In this paper we use the average response time as the performance metric. The management system is transparent: it requires no changes in the client code, the server code, or the network interface between them. The system performs three performance management tasks: resource allocation, load balancing, and server overload protection. We use two nested levels of management mechanism. The inner level centers on queuing and scheduling of request messages. The outer level is a feedback control loop that periodically adjusts the scheduling weights and server allocations of the inner level. The feedback controller is based on an approximate first-principles model of the system, with parameters derived from continuous monitoring. We focus on SOAP-based Web services. We report experimental results that show the dynamic behavior of the system.

QoS-assured service composition in managed service overlay networks

Abstract: Many value-added and content delivery services are being offered via service level agreements (SLAs). These services can be interconnected to form a service overlay network (SON) over the Internet. Service composition in SON has emerged as a cost-effective approach to quickly creating new services. Previous research has addressed the reliability, adaptability, and compatibility issues for composed services. However little has been done to manage generic quality-of-service (QoS) provisioning for composed services, based on the SLA contracts of individual services. In this paper we present QUEST a QoS assUred composEable Service infrasTructure, to address the problem. QUEST framework provides: (1) initial service composition, which can compose a qualified service path under multiple QoS constraints (e.g., response time, availability). If multiple qualified service paths exist, QUEST chooses the best one according to the load balancing metric; and (2) dynamic service composition, which can dynamically recompose the service path to quickly recover from service outages and QoS violations. Different from the previous work, QUEST can simultaneously achieve QoS assurances and good load balancing in SON.

Requirements for Support of Differentiated Services-aware MPLS Traffic Engineering

Abstract: This document presents Service Provider requirements for support of Differentiated Services (Diff-Serv)-aware MPLS Traffic Engineering (DS-TE).

Differentiated Services Quality of Service Policy Information Base

Abstract: This document describes a Policy Information Base (PIB) for a device implementing the Differentiated Services Architecture. The provisioning classes defined here provide policy control over resources implementing the Differentiated Services Architecture. These provisioning classes can be used with other none Differentiated Services provisioning classes (defined in other PIBs) to provide for a comprehensive policy controlled mapping of service requirement to device resource capability and usage.

Service-oriented architecture systems and methods

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes capturing service properties in one or more service process profiles, receiving a request for service, and interrogating the request and possible services by reviewing service properties captured in the service process profiles. A computer architecture includes a service manage profile and a service meter profile. A computer infrastructure includes a service component including a service-oriented architecture and a serviceware component including a manager for interpreting the service-oriented architecture.

Context attributes: an approach to enable context-awareness for service discovery

Abstract: The service discovery problem has attracted a lot of attention from researchers and practitioners. Jini, SLP, and UPnP are among the few emerging service discovery protocols. Although they seem to provide a good solution to the problem, there is an unaddressed need of more sophisticated location and context-aware service selection support. In this paper, we introduce the concept of context attribute as an effective, flexible means to exploit relevant context information during the service discovery process. Context attributes can express context information including service-specific selection logic, client, and network condition. We describe our approach and implementation, and present experimental results of our context-aware service discovery implementation.

Policy service system and methodology

Abstract: The present invention provides for creation, relevance based discovery and delivery of services to mobile users over telecommunications networks. The services are provided on a Mobile Service Provider's (MSP's) network infrastructure and created in collaboration with third parties by means of service objects. Each service object is a three dimensional collection of service capabilities derived from the network infrastructure, service elements and assets like user billing relations, user profiles, device capability and location. The service capabilities address and factor in network facing, subscriber facing and third party requirements of service delivery. Service objects can be configured for different service and business priorities of the operator such as DRM and location services. A service object extends all MSP assets to third parties in a regulated manner. The user can discover relevant services, subscribe to, and personalize the services. The users receive a consolidated bill for the services they have used periodically.

Evolution of the Internet QoS and support for soft real-time applications

Abstract: The past few years have witnessed the emergence of many real-time networked applications on the Internet. These types of applications require special support from the underlying network such as reliability, timeliness, and guaranteed delivery, as well as different levels of service quality. Unfortunately, this support is not available within the current "best-effort" Internet architecture. In this paper, we review several mechanisms and frameworks proposed to provide network- and application-level quality of service (QoS) in the next-generation Internet. We first discuss the QoS requirements of many of the above-mentioned real-time applications, and then we categorize them according to the required service levels. We also describe the various building blocks often used in QoS approaches. We briefly present asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and Internet Protocol precedence. Then, we present and compare two service architectures recently adopted by the Internet Engineering Task Force, called integrated services (IntServ) and differentiated services (DiffServ), for providing per-flow and aggregated-flow service guarantees, respectively. We focus on DiffServ because it is a candidate QoS framework to be used in next-generation Internet along with multiprotocol label switching and traffic engineering. We also examine several operational and research issues that need to be resolved before such frameworks can be put in practice.

SODA: a service-on-demand architecture for application service hosting utility platforms

Abstract: The grid is realizing the vision of providing computation as utility: computational jobs can be scheduled on-demand at grid hosts based on available computational capacity. In this project, we study another emerging usage of grid utility: the hosting of application services. Different from a computational job, an application service such as an e-Laboratory or an on-line business has longer lifetime, and performs multiple jobs requested by its clients. A service hosting utility platform (HUP) is formed by a set of hosts in the grid, and multiple application services will be hosted on the HUP. SODA is a service-on-demand architecture that enables on-demand creation of application services on a HUP. With SODA, an application service will be created in the form of a set of virtual service nodes; each node is a virtual machine which is physically a 'slice' of a real host in the HUP. SODA involves both OS and middleware techniques, and has the following salient capabilities: (1) on-demand service priming: the image of an application service as well as the OS on which it runs will be created on-demand and bootstrapped automatically; (2) better service isolation: services sharing the same HUP host are isolated with respect to administration, faults, intrusion, and resources; (3) integrated service load management: for each service, a service switch will be created to direct client requests to appropriate virtual service nodes. Moreover, the application service provider can replace the default request switching policy with a service-specific policy.

Model Driven Service Composition

Abstract: The current standards for web service composition, e.g. BPEL. neither cater for dynamic service composition nor for dynamic business configuration. Our firm belief is that business processes can be built dynamically by composing web services in a model driven fashion where the design process is controlled and governed by a series of business rules.

System and method for facilitating access to network based services

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating web service component access. A One Logical View to Broker (OLVB) Application Program Interface (API) is established for application (402) in order to reduce the complexity of the application interface and subsequently increase the portability of application (402). Network Service Broker related parameters (204,304) allows the solicitation of the best match Network Service Broker or web service component, while hiding the selection detail from application (402). Real-time business relationships between Service Provisioning Infrastructure (208) and Network Service Brokers (212,232,238) is facilitated by using matchmaking function (416) within lookup function (414).

System and method for managing an optical networking service

Abstract: Described are a system and method for managing a service across an optical network over a dedicated circuit between a first and second service termination points. Each service termination point generates a service performance report message. Each service performance report messages has information related to a performance of the service as determined by the service termination point generating the message. The service termination points exchange the service performance report messages over a service management channel to enable an assessment of the performance of the service based on the service performance report messages from both service termination points. Through access to and use of the service management channel, service providers can implement an edge management model or a core management model for measuring the performance of their services with respect to service level agreements governing those services.

System and method for providing content-oriented services to content providers and content consumers

Abstract: A content service network for providing content-oriented services over the Internet or similar networks comprises a service delivery overlay having a plurality of application servers and a content delivery network overlay having a plurality of service-enabled proxies in content delivery paths between content providers and content consumers. The service delivery overlay and the content delivery network collaborate to provide content-oriented processing, such as adaptive video delivery, content personalization, language translation, etc. The content service network accepts subscriptions from content providers and content consumer. For each subscription, service instructions including service binding data for binding the subscribed services with the subscriber's identity are generated and distributed to the service-enabled proxies. When a service-enabled proxy detects that a message passing therethrough requires a subscribed service, it retrieves service instructions for the service and renders the service either by making a remote call to an application service or by invoking a local execution module.

Policy enabled grid architecture

Abstract: A self-governing, self-healing and self-optimizing policy oriented grid architecture. The architecture can include a hosting service configured for use in a computing grid. The hosting service can include a Web service; grid instrumentation coupled to the Web service; a Web service descriptive document; and, a service policy element disposed in the Web service descriptive document. The Web service descriptive document can include a WSDL type document. Moreover, at least one WSLA can be referenced in the WSDL type document. Notably, the service policy element can include at least one policy selected from the group consisting of a security assertion and a business rule. The security assertion can include a security assertion markup language (SAML) formatted authentication statement having a subject specifying a role identifier.

Systems and methods for managing web services via a framework of interfaces

Abstract: A system for managing a Web service comprises a service managed object associated with the Web service. The service managed object includes an interface configured to represent management features for the service to a manager. The manager can access information regarding the Web service via the interface such as a list of conversations associated with the Web service, and the relationship of the service managed object to other managed objects.

Networked services licensing system and method

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for controlling consumption of a networked service (119) in accordance with rights expression information (127) associated with the networked service (119) and specifying a manner of use of the networked service (119), including determining the rights expression information (127) associated with the networked service (119), the rights expression information (127) indicating a manner of use of the networked service (119); and controlling consumption of the networked service (119) based on the rights expression information (127).

Single sign-on for multiple network -based services

Abstract: A network-based service creation platform automates and simplifies many tasks associated with defining new network service offerings to network users, publishing the new service offerings to the users, handling the subscription and registration of subscribers to the new service, billing for the service, and otherwise managing the service. In one embodiment, once a user is authenticated a first time, the user is then automatically authenticated for multiple network-based services without having to perform separate manual logins for each service. Moreover, the user is authenticated for a plurality of networking devices and/or computing devices used to provide the services.

Method for improving of service brokers' quality of service

Abstract: The present invention relates to a computerized method applicable to a set of parties connected via a network, and in particular it relates to a method and system for improving the search for services offered via said network. Said parties are Service Providers offering said services, Service Requesters needing said services, and Service Brokers maintaining information about said services and service providers. Said Service Brokers assist said Service Requestors in finding, for a particular service, the best services from the best Service Providers ranked by the importance for said Service Requestor. Obviously, the acceptance of a particular Service Broker by a particular Service Requestor depends on the capability of providing a (ranked) list of services that best meet the demands of a particular Service Requester. It is proposed to exploit data mining technology to achieve the proper ranking of said list created as a result of a Service Requester's request by providing at least said list ( 402 ) to a trained data-mining model ( 412 ) that then generates the proper ranked list ( 414 ) The trained data-mining model ( 412 ) is created by training an untrained data-mining model with some or all of the following information: a. Properties of the offered service such as a description of the service, b. Queries ( 406 ) that Service Requesters have submitted, c. The non-ranked lists of services that have been derived from said queries ( 402 ), d. Feedback information provided by the Service Requester about his preferences, e. Properties of the Service Requester, f. Properties of the Service Provider. (FIG. 4 ).

Class-based bandwidth allocation and admission control for virtual private networks with differentiated service

Abstract: A method and for establishing a virtual private network (VPN) session for a priority request. The method and apparatus includes identifying a priority request from a plurality of VPN session request classes. Reserved bandwidth is allocated to the priority request if a nominally allocated bandwidth is insufficient to satisfy the priority request. Once the allocated bandwidth is assigned, admission control is applied to the priority request.

Collaborative QoS architecture between DiffServ and 802.11e wireless LAN

Abstract: As the multimedia applications such as voice over IP (VoIP) and audio/visual (AV) streaming across the Internet emerge, many are working on the network architecture to extend such applications to the wireless networking domain. The emerging IEEE 802.11e quality-of-service (QoS)-enabled wireless LAN (WLAN) is considered a strong candidate for the air interface for such multimedia applications thanks to the IP-centric network paradigm along with its inherent high-speed transmission capability. This paper provides an integrated wired/wireless network architecture interfacing QoS between user level traffic over IP using differentiated service (Diffserv) and transport level traffic using IEEE 802.11e WLAN. Our study investigates the correlations in end-to-end traffic management between Diffserv and 802.11e, and presents the hierarchical QoS signaling interface between Diffserv and 802.11e, in terms of traffic classifying, shaping and policing.

The effect of service guarantees on service recovery

Abstract: Service guarantees have been attributed the benefit of improving the overall service of a service provider. However, little research has been carried out within the area. This article focuses on one aspect of the service guarantee, the effects that service guarantees may have on service recovery. Critical incident data were collected using the critical incident interview technique with customers of RadissonSAS, a worldwide hotel chain using a service guarantee. One contribution of this article is that the interviews convey that the implicit guarantee may serve as a risk reducer, which contradicts and adds to previous research. Previous research states that only the explicit guarantee has these benefits. In this case, the guarantee does not reduce risk in the purchase or consumption stage, but after the consumption when the service has failed, as the customer finds out about the guarantee in the recovery situation. Another contribution of this article is that service guarantees are found to influence the outcome of service recovery as they affect how employees behave to recover the customer.

Modular service architectures: a concept and method for engineering IT services

Abstract: The demise of first generation service models of application service providers (ASP) indicates that moving from individualized services (e.g. many outsourcing offerings) to fully standardised services (e.g. first generation ASP models) leaves many customer requirements unfilled. In our paper we argue that a possible solution for building innovative e-services is the use of modular service architectures. The paper introduces the characteristics of IT services, based on a case study with a leading German provider of application hosting services in the ERP market. We pay particular attention to the general composition of IT services, the role of external factors (how customers and their resources participate in service operations), and varying customer preferences. Referring to these considerations, the paper explains the concept of modularity and the application of the concept in the domain of IT services. We specifically address how the concept of modular service architectures addresses external factors and varying service level requirements. We give an example how the concept of modular service architectures can be leveraged to improve the design and to allow for improved customization of IT services. We conclude with identifying possible further research questions that need to be pursued to achieve the vision of semi-standardised, mass customizable solutions for IT service provision.

Method and system for outbound web services

Abstract: A method and system for client applications to invoke the services of server applications. A business service system allows a user of a client application to specify the provider of a business service and to specify the communications protocols and transport mechanisms to be used when invoking such business services. The business service system provides a business service proxy that is invoked by client applications when using a business service. The business service proxy uses a mapping of web service to business service to send a request to the server application, which implements the business service in an appropriate format and using an appropriate transport mechanism. The mapping may be customized to point to a different implementation of the business service. The mapping may point to a business service that executes remotely from or locally to the client application.

Management and arbitration of mobile service discovery

Abstract: A Registry, such as a UDDI registry, dynamically manages (e.g. filters and/or re-orders) answers to service queries by Service Consumers based at least on one or more of the individual states/status of Service Providers, the collective service environment state, and policies employed by the environment. The Registry may be configured to infer operational state/status about a Service Provider, such as impending unavailability due to very low battery reserves, and to remove providers from the registry if determined to be unavailable. The Registry may be configured to associate a shelf-life with a provider registration based on characteristics of the Service Provider, or based on past experience with the Service Provider. Such dynamic management allows the Registry to implement intelligent task distribution and load balancing between Service Providers, and to insulate Service Providers on fragile platforms (e.g. notebooks, handhelds, etc.) that may otherwise be overwhelmed by offering themselves as a traditional provider.

Extending the Network Calculus Pay Bursts Only Once Principle to Aggregate Scheduling

Abstract: The Differentiated Services framework allows to provide scalable network Quality of Service by aggregate scheduling. Services, like a Premium class, can be defined to offer a bounded end-to-end delay. For such services, the methodology of Network Calculus has been applied successfully in Integrated Services networks to derive upper bounds on the delay of individual flows. Recent extensions allow an application of Network Calculus even to aggregate scheduling networks. Nevertheless, computations are significantly complicated due to the multiplexing and de-multiplexing of micro-flows to aggregates. Here problems concerning the tightness of delay bounds may be encountered.A phenomenon called Pay Bursts Only Once is known to give a closer upper estimate on the delay, when an end-to-end service curve is derived prior to delay computations. Doing so accounts for bursts of the flow of interest only once end-to-end instead of at each link independently. This principle also holds in aggregate scheduling networks. However, it can be extended in that bursts of interfering flows are paid only once, too. In this paper we show the existence of such a complementing Pay Bursts Only Once phenomenon for interfering flows. We derive the end-to-end service curve for a flow of interest in an arbitrary aggregate scheduling feed forward network for rate-latency service curves, and leaky bucket constraint arrival curves, which conforms to both of the above principles. We give simulation results to show the utility of the derived forms.