Showing papers on "Services computing published in 2016"

Foggy clouds and cloudy fogs: a real need for coordinated management of fog-to-cloud computing systems

Abstract: The recent advances in cloud services technology are fueling a plethora of information technology innovation, including networking, storage, and computing. Today, various flavors have evolved of IoT, cloud computing, and so-called fog computing, a concept referring to capabilities of edge devices and users’ clients to compute, store, and exchange data among each other and with the cloud. Although the rapid pace of this evolution was not easily foreseeable, today each piece of it facilitates and enables the deployment of what we commonly refer to as a smart scenario, including smart cities, smart transportation, and smart homes. As most current cloud, fog, and network services run simultaneously in each scenario, we observe that we are at the dawn of what may be the next big step in the cloud computing and networking evolution, whereby services might be executed at the network edge, both in parallel and in a coordinated fashion, as well as supported by the unstoppable technology evolution. As edge devices become richer in functionality and smarter, embedding capacities such as storage or processing, as well as new functionalities, such as decision making, data collection, forwarding, and sharing, a real need is emerging for coordinated management of fog-to-cloud (F2C) computing systems. This article introduces a layered F2C architecture, its benefits and strengths, as well as the arising open and research challenges, making the case for the real need for their coordinated management. Our architecture, the illustrative use case presented, and a comparative performance analysis, albeit conceptual, all clearly show the way forward toward a new IoT scenario with a set of existing and unforeseen services provided on highly distributed and dynamic compute, storage, and networking resources, bringing together heterogeneous and commodity edge devices, emerging fogs, as well as conventional clouds. Introduction: The Scenario

Mobile-Edge Computing and the Internet of Things for Consumers: Extending cloud computing and services to the edge of the network.

Abstract: Current activities in the Internet of Things (IoT) are focused on architectures, protocols, and networking for the efficient interconnection of heterogeneous things, infrastructure deployment, and creation of value-added services. The majority of the IoT products, services, and platforms are supported by cloud-computing platforms. With the IoT being a multidisciplinary ecosystem, it is now being utilized in connection with scenarios demanding real-time data processing and feedback, for example, connected and autonomous vehicles scenarios. Cloud platforms are not suitable for scenarios involving real-time operation, low latency requirements, and high quality of service (QoS). Recently, mobile-edge computing (MEC) has gained momentum from the industry to address the mentioned requirements. MEC is a novel paradigm that extends cloud-computing capabilities and services to the edge of the network. Due to dense geographical distribution, proximity to consumers, support for high mobility, and open platform, MEC can support applications and services with reduced latency and improved QoS. Thus, MEC is becoming an important enabler of consumer-centric IoT applications and services that demand real-time operations. The OpenFog Consortium and standards development organizations like ETSI have also recognized the benefits the IoT and MEC can bring to consumers. Potential applications for MEC-enabled IoT include smart mobility, connected vehicles, emergency response, smart cities, content distribution, and location-based services.

Survey of Techniques and Architectures for Designing Energy-Efficient Data Centers

Abstract: Cloud computing has emerged as the leading paradigm for information technology businesses. Cloud computing provides a platform to manage and deliver computing services around the world over the Internet. Cloud services have helped businesses utilize computing services on demand with no upfront investments. The cloud computing paradigm has sustained its growth, which has led to increase in size and number of data centers. Data centers with thousands of computing devices are deployed as back end to provide cloud services. Computing devices are deployed redundantly in data centers to ensure 24/7 availability. However, many studies have pointed out that data centers consume large amount of electricity, thus calling for energy-efficiency measures. In this survey, we discuss research issues related to conflicting requirements of maximizing quality of services (QoSs) (availability, reliability, etc.) delivered by the cloud services while minimizing energy consumption of the data center resources. In this paper, we present the concept of inception of data center energy-efficiency controller that can consolidate data center resources with minimal effect on QoS requirements. We discuss software- and hardware-based techniques and architectures for data center resources such as server, memory, and network devices that can be manipulated by the data center controller to achieve energy efficiency.

Fog computing dynamic load balancing mechanism based on graph repartitioning

Abstract: Because of cloud computing's high degree of polymerization calculation mode, it can't give full play to the resources of the edge device such as computing, storage, etc. Fog computing can improve the resource utilization efficiency of the edge device, and solve the problem about service computing of the delay-sensitive applications. This paper researches on the framework of the fog computing, and adopts Cloud Atomization Technology to turn physical nodes in different levels into virtual machine nodes. On this basis, this paper uses the graph partitioning theory to build the fog computing's load balancing algorithm based on dynamic graph partitioning. The simulation results show that the framework of the fog computing after Cloud Atomization can build the system network flexibly, and dynamic load balancing mechanism can effectively configure system resources as well as reducing the consumption of node migration brought by system changes.

3D printing services: classification, supply chain implications and research agenda

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and classify the available types of 3D printing services, with the scope of determining the potential implications that such services could have on the supply chains of manufacturing firms and creating a research agenda for future studies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors review the current literature on the potential supply chain impacts of 3D printing and evaluate the 3D printing services provided by 404 firms in selected European markets. Findings: The results show that 3D printing services form a rapidly evolving industry, with new service providers entering the market on a regular basis. Evidence from the European markets investigated suggests that services can be classified into three distinct categories: generative, facilitative and selective services. Research limitations/implications: This paper represents an attempt to take stock of a fastmoving and potentially paradigm-shifting market. The implications are dynamic as new applications, business models and techniques are continually being developed. Further studies are required to substantiate the findings. Practical implications: Three categories of 3D printing services that could significantly impact supply chain configurations of the future are proposed. Several issues specific to 3D printing services raised in the research agenda require further scrutiny and substantiation before services can reach their full potential. Originality/value: This paper provides an overview of the growing 3D printing services industry, highlighting how the market might change as additive manufacturing technology matures.

Open Issues in Scheduling Microservices in the Cloud

Abstract: This article discusses the main advantages and challenges of adopting microservices in cloud computing. The microservices architecture allows software developers to build a distributed application as a set of independent components that work together. This model isn't new, but, applied in cloud systems, it increases datacenter scalability and reliability. The authors discuss available technologies for deploying and controlling microservices-based application architectures in the cloud.

Visualising the digital twin using web services and augmented reality

Abstract: As the number of network connected devices in an industrial system increases, the management and handling of all the information generated become a challenge. In this work we explore concepts of Cyber-Physical System model the virtual part of industrial devices (sensor, machines, CLPs) using the Digital Twin concept and propose an architecture based on web services for accessing their data. We present a case study where an Augmented Reality system access the Twin Model data via web services and display real-time information to the user. Moreover, we present a review of how the involved concepts, which have a strong computational background, relate to industrial applications and how they can expand the possibility of services and business models.

How is value created and captured in smart grids? A review of the literature and an analysis of pilot projects

Abstract: Profitable business models for value creation and value capture with smart grid services are pivotal to realize the transition to smart and sustainable electricity grids. In addition to knowledge regarding the technical characteristics of smart grids, we need to know what drives companies and consumers to sell and purchase services in a smart grid. This paper reviews 45 scientific articles on business models for smart grid services and analyses information on value in 434 European and US smart grid pilot projects. Our review observes that the articles and pilots most often discuss three types of smart grid services: vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle services, demand response services, and services to integrate renewable energy (RE). We offer a classification of business models, value creation and capture for each of these services and for the different actors in the electricity value chain. Although business models have been developed for grid-to-vehicle services and for services that connect RE, knowledge regarding demand response services is restricted to different types of value creation and capture. Our results highlight that business models can be profitable when a new actor in the electricity industry, that is, the aggregator, can collect sufficiently large amounts of load. In addition, our analysis indicates that demand response services or vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle services will be offered in conjunction with the supply of RE.

Challenges in Delivering Software in the Cloud as Microservices

Abstract: Microservices can be broadly defined as the design of service-oriented software using a set of small services. In a microservice architecture, application complexity is distributed among narrowly focused and independently deployable units of computation. Such complexity can result in security vulnerabilities. Trustworthiness is also an issue when dealing with microservices. Moreover, there may be gaps in existing legal frameworks with regard to this technology. Solutions to these issues must seek balance between security and performance.

An Architecture of IoT Service Delegation and Resource Allocation Based on Collaboration between Fog and Cloud Computing

Abstract: Despite the wide utilization of cloud computing (e.g., services, applications, and resources), some of the services, applications, and smart devices are not able to fully benefit from this attractive cloud computing paradigm due to the following issues: (1) smart devices might be lacking in their capacity (e.g., processing, memory, storage, battery, and resource allocation), (2) they might be lacking in their network resources, and (3) the high network latency to centralized server in cloud might not be efficient for delay-sensitive application, services, and resource allocations requests. Fog computing is promising paradigm that can extend cloud resources to edge of network, solving the abovementioned issue. As a result, in this work, we propose an architecture of IoT service delegation and resource allocation based on collaboration between fog and cloud computing. We provide new algorithm that is decision rules of linearized decision tree based on three conditions (services size, completion time, and VMs capacity) for managing and delegating user request in order to balance workload. Moreover, we propose algorithm to allocate resources to meet service level agreement (SLA) and quality of services (QoS) as well as optimizing big data distribution in fog and cloud computing. Our simulation result shows that our proposed approach can efficiently balance workload, improve resource allocation efficiently, optimize big data distribution, and show better performance than other existing methods.

The Barriers and Enablers of Co-design for Services

Abstract: IntroductionThe growing scale and complexity of design problems has engendered a move towards more open and collective design activity where multiple stakeholders, particularly the end users but also professionals from other fields, are included as equal partners in the design process. Co-design, defined by Sanders and Stappers (2008) as the "creativity of designers and people not trained in design working together in the design development process" (p. 2), reflects a shift of focus from products to broader human goals and propagates the ability of design to tackle complex societal problems.At the same time, Western societies are moving into service-based economies. To improve their competitiveness in conditions characterised by diversification of customer needs, immaterialisation of products, flexible manufacturing methods and co-creation of value, businesses are shifting from goods-dominant to service-dominant logic, where services offered to customers in continuous interaction with them become the means of value creation (Lusch & Vargo, 2006).In this situation, service design has emerged as a new area of design practice and research that brings the user into the centre of the development of services (Kimbell, 2009; Mager, 2008). From its early focus on service touchpoints, service design has expanded towards 'designing for services' in broader multi-actor service systems where it can have more profound, transformative effects to organisations and people's lives (Meroni & Sangiorgi, 2011; Stickdorn & Schneider, 2010).The public sector, such as healthcare and social services providers, has begun to adopt approaches from (collaborative) design for services (e.g. Design Commission, 2013; Keinonen, Vaajakallio, & Honkonen, 2013). Thus, service design and co-design are gaining importance as part of the public innovation system. They can be applied for public policy making and implementation (Bason, 2014; Junginger, 2013) or in cities for addressing topics related to the urban environment and its services that are beyond the scope of the urban planning process (Design Driven City, 2015; Fuad-Luke, 2012).As co-design for services is increasingly utilised by public and private organisations, more knowledge is needed on the method-related, practical, organisational and other factors that impact its effectiveness and play a part in its diffusion.Focus and ObjectivesThis paper aims at shedding light on the prerequisites of co-design for services by identifying empirically grounded barriers and enablers that hinder or support co-design activities in cross-organisational networks that are developing services. The focus is on co-design as facilitation of collaboration rather than on participatory design with users. The paper is based on follow-up interviews that assess the course and impacts of six publicly funded, research-driven co-design projects in which designerly methods were used for supporting collaborative service development. The main objectives are:* To gain a more structured and comprehensive understanding about the barriers and enablers experienced in cross-organisational service co-design endeavours.* To increase the knowledge on the role, advantages/disadvantages and effectiveness of specific methods and skills in facilitating co-design for services.The study seeks to contribute to research and practice. It complements previous research through a cross-project analysis, with a focus on service co-design methods and skills. As a practical outcome, learnings from the case projects are brought to a broader audience, providing guidelines for developing the methods and practices of service co-design towards more leverage and viability.The paper begins with an overview of previous research from the fields of organisation studies and design, after which the case projects and the analysis method are opened up. The main findings are presented as 20 barrier-enabler couples, explained with the help of the data. …

Web Services Composition for Process Management in E-Business

Abstract: Business process management (BPM) includes the capability to discover, design, deploy, execute, interact with, operate, optimize, and analyze business processes. It is critical for businesses in the current intensive and competitive market. Traditional BPM has problems in interoperability, agility, and flexibility. This research investigates the role of Web services in process management. Web services are loosely coupled, reusable software components that semantically encapsulate discrete functionality. They provide a distributed computing technology for publishing, discovering, and consuming business services on the Internet or intranet using standard XML protocols and formats. Web services provide a way to empower business users to specify complex business functionality in a clear, building-block fashion that can be quickly modified. The paper presents the importance and benefits of using Web services for process management in e-Business. It also provides insights into various technical issues through t...

Event-Aware Framework for Dynamic Services Discovery and Selection in the Context of Ambient Intelligence and Internet of Things

Abstract: The Internet of Things is the natural continuity of the Ambient Intelligence where smart and ambient environments are built mainly by integrating a large number of interconnected smart objects (sensors, actuators, Smartphone, appliances, etc.) with heterogeneous capabilities abstracted as software services. These services can be composed on the fly and provided, all the time and everywhere, to assist users in their daily activities. A key issue in user-centered services composition is to intelligently and effectively discover and select the most relevant services that best match the users’ requirements and closely meet the specified quality-of-service level. Monitoring seamlessly the provided services and enhancing their quality, is still a challenging issue due mainly to the dynamicity and uncertainty characterizing ambient environments. In this paper, we propose a new service-oriented, user-centered and event-aware Framework capable of performing services monitoring to handle automatically events that may occur in ambient environments. This monitoring is based on a dynamic services discovery and selection process to enhance self-adaptation to unpredicted changes, and ensure services continuity with best quality. The overall proposed Framework has been implemented and validated through a scenario dedicated to daily activity recognition in an Ambient-Assisted Living environment. In addition, the obtained performances from extensive tests show clearly the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed approach in the case of a large-scale environment.

Factors affecting the adoption of cloud services in enterprises

Abstract: Cloud computing services offer enterprise clients many advantages such as reduced costs, easy maintenance and the easy re-provisioning of resources, thus contributing to increased profits. However, little is known about the adoption behavior of such services among enterprises. This study applies the technology---organization---environment framework to investigate determinants of cloud computing service adoption behavior. Data collected from 102 valid enterprises in Taiwan provide strong support for the model. Results indicate that technological (i.e., relative advantage, observability and security), organizational (i.e., financial costs and satisfaction with existing IS) and environmental (i.e., competition intensity) factors were positively related to intention to adopt cloud computing services, accounting for 52 % of variance. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Developing new smart services using integrated morphological analysis: integration of the market-pull and technology-push approach

Abstract: With the rise of smart services, new services are no longer generated via the traditional linear models of innovation. Rather, smart-service innovations require new frameworks to integrate the market-pull and technology-push models, which focus on both user-centric considerations and technological developments. However, current streams of research continue to merely suggest a conceptual framework. Therefore, it appears to be difficult to apply this framework into practice, due to a lack of systematic methodologies. In response, this study employs morphological analysis, a powerful tool for the systematic generation of ideas. Since the morphological analysis employs several dimensions for explaining new services and combines them to generate new ideas, it is easy to integrate the different approaches to innovations, such as market pull and technology push. A case study of smartphone application services is also conducted.

Cloud-based services exchange

Abstract: In general, a cloud-based services exchange (or “cloud exchange”) for interconnecting multiple cloud service providers with multiple cloud service customers is described. The cloud exchange may enable cloud customers to bypass the public Internet to directly connect to cloud services providers so as to improve performance, reduce costs, increase the security and privacy of the connections, and leverage cloud computing for additional applications. In this way, enterprises, network carriers, and SaaS customers, for instance, can integrate cloud services with their internal applications as if such services are part of or otherwise directly coupled to their own data center network.

QoS Prediction for Web Service Recommendation with Network Location-Aware Neighbor Selection

Abstract: Web service recommendation is one of the key problems in service computing, especially in the case of a large number of service candidates. The QoS (quality of service) values are usually leveraged to recommend services that best satisfy a user’s demand. There are many existing methods using collaborative filtering (CF) to predict QoS missing values, but very limited works can leverage the network location information in the user side and service side. In real-world service invocation scenario, the network location of a user or a service makes great impact on QoS. In this paper, we propose a novel collaborative recommendation framework containing three novel prediction models, which are based on two techniques, i.e. matrix factorization (MF) and network location-aware neighbor selection. We first propose two individual models that have the capability of using the user and service information, respectively. Then we propose a unified model that combines the results of the two individual models. We conduct sufficient experiments on a real-world dataset. The experimental results demonstrate that our models achieve higher prediction accuracy than baseline models, and are not sensitive to the parameters.

A cloud robotics solution to improve social assistive robots for active and healthy aging

Abstract: Technological innovation in robotics and ICT represents an effective solution to tackle the challenge of providing social sustainable care services for the ageing population. The recent introduction of cloud technologies is opening new opportunities for the provisioning of advanced robotic services based on the cooperation of a number of connected robots, smart environments and devices improved by the huge cloud computational and storage capability. In this context, this paper aims to investigate and assess the potentialities of a cloud robotic system for the provisioning of assistive services for the promotion of active and healthy ageing. The system comprised two different smart environments, located in Italy and Sweden, where a service robot is connected to a cloud platform for the provisioning of localization based services to the users. The cloud robotic services were tested in the two realistic environments to assess the general feasibility of the solution and demonstrate the ability to provide assistive location based services in a multiple environment framework. The results confirmed the validity of the solution but also suggested a deeper investigation on the dependability of the communication technologies adopted in such kind of systems.

Situation Analytics: A Foundation for a New Software Engineering Paradigm

Abstract: Advances in cognitive science along with modern-day smart technologies and software services that take into account our mental state will enable a software industry that is poised to meet customers' needs on the fly in new and truly individualized ways.

Pricing Schemes in Cloud Computing: An Overview

Abstract: Cloud Computing is one of the technologies with rapid development in recent years where there is increasing interest in industry and academia. This technology enables many services and resources for end users. With the rise of cloud services number of companies that offer various services in cloud infrastructure is increased, thus creating a competition on prices in the global market. Cloud Computing providers offer more services to their clients ranging from infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS), storage as a service (STaaS), security as a service (SECaaS), test environment as a service (TEaaS). The purpose of providers is to maximize revenue by their price schemes, while the main goal of customers is to have quality of services (QoS) for a reasonable price. The purpose of this paper is to compare and discuss several models and pricing schemes from different Cloud Computing providers.

Automatic Web Service Composition Based on Uncertainty Execution Effects

Abstract: By arranging multiple existing web services into workflows to create value-added services, automatic web service composition has received much attention in service-oriented computing. A large number of methods have been proposed for it although most of them are merely based on the matching of input-output parameters of services. Besides these parameters, some other elements can affect the execution of services and their composition, such as the preconditions and service execution results. In particular, the execution effects of some services are often uncertain because of the complex and dynamically changing application environments in the real world, and this can cause the emergence of nondeterministic choices in the workflows of composite services. However, the previous methods for automatic service composition mainly rely on sequential structures, which make them difficult to take into account uncertain effects during service composition. In this paper, Graphplan is employed and extended to tackle this problem. In order to model services with uncertain effects, we first extend the original form of Graphplan. Then, we propose a novel approach that can introduce branch structures into composite solutions to cope with such uncertainty in the service composition process. Extensive experiments are performed to evaluate and analyze the proposed methodology.

Technology-Based Innovations to Foster Personalized Healthy Lifestyles and Well-Being: A Targeted Review

Abstract: Background: New community-based arrangements and novel technologies can empower individuals to be active participants in their health maintenance, enabling people to control and self-regulate their health and wellness and make better health- and lifestyle-related decisions. Mobile sensing technology and health systems responsive to individual profiles combined with cloud computing can expand innovation for new types of interoperable services that are consumer-oriented and community-based. This could fuel a paradigm shift in the way health care can be, or should be, provided and received, while lessening the burden on exhausted health and social care systems. Objective: Our goal is to identify and discuss the main scientific and engineering challenges that need to be successfully addressed in delivering state-of-the-art, ubiquitous eHealth and mHealth services, including citizen-centered wellness management services, and reposition their role and potential within a broader context of diverse sociotechnical drivers, agents, and stakeholders. Methods: We review the state-of-the-art relevant to the development and implementation of eHealth and mHealth services in critical domains. We identify and discuss scientific, engineering, and implementation-related challenges that need to be overcome to move research, development, and the market forward. Results: Several important advances have been identified in the fields of systems for personalized health monitoring, such as smartphone platforms and intelligent ubiquitous services. Sensors embedded in smartphones and clothes are making the unobtrusive recognition of physical activity, behavior, and lifestyle possible, and thus the deployment of platforms for health assistance and citizen empowerment. Similarly, significant advances are observed in the domain of infrastructure supporting services. Still, many technical problems remain to be solved, combined with no less challenging issues related to security, privacy, trust, and organizational dynamics. Conclusions: Delivering innovative ubiquitous eHealth and mHealth services, including citizen-centered wellness and lifestyle management services, goes well beyond the development of technical solutions. For the large-scale information and communication technology-supported adoption of healthier lifestyles to take place, crucial innovations are needed in the process of making and deploying usable empowering end-user services that are trusted and user-acceptable. Such innovations require multidomain, multilevel, transdisciplinary work, grounded in theory but driven by citizens’ and health care professionals’ needs, expectations, and capabilities and matched by business ability to bring innovation to the market. [J Med Internet Res 2016;18(6):e128]

Fog-to-cloud Computing (F2C): The key technology enabler for dependable e-health services deployment

Abstract: Fog Computing recently came up as an extension of cloud computing to facilitate the development of IoT services with strong requirements in latency, security while minimizing the traffic load in the network. The stack of resources set by putting together fog and cloud premises has been recently coined as Fog-to-Cloud (F2C) computing, and has been positioned as an innovative computing paradigm best matching current and foreseen IoT services demands. This paper emphasizes the benefits F2C may bring to a particular health area, namely COPD, whose patients' quality of life intensely depends on the patients mobility. We argue that by enriching current breath assistance systems for COPD patients with F2C capacities, the patients may comfortably afford physical activities, therefore impacting on reducing not only patients deterioration but also the re-admission incidence rate IRR) with a clear impact on the health costs as well.

An autonomic approach for resource provisioning of cloud services

Abstract: Recently, there has been a significant increase in the use of cloud-based services that are offered in software as a service (SaaS) models by SaaS providers, and irregular access of different users to these cloud services leads to fluctuations in the demand workload. It is difficult to determine the suitable amount of resources required to run cloud services in response to the varying workloads, and this may lead to undesirable states of over-provisioning and under-provisioning. In this paper, we address improvements to resource provisioning for cloud services by proposing an autonomic resource provisioning approach that is based on the concept of the control monitor-analyze-plan-execute (MAPE) loop, and we design a resource provisioning framework for cloud environments. The experimental results show that the proposed approach reduces the total cost by up to 35 %, the number of service level agreement (SLA) violations by up to 40 %, and increases the resource utilization by up to 25 % compared with the other approaches.