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This research considers the transmission of real-time data within a wireless local area network (WLAN). Exact and approximate analytic network evaluation techniques are examined. The suitability of using a given technique in a particular situation is discussed. Simulation models are developed to study the performance of our protocol RT-MAC (real-time medium access control). RT-MAC is a novel, simple, and elegant MAC protocol for use in transmitting real-time data in point to point ad hoc WLAN. Our enhancement of IEEE 802.11, RT-MAC, achieves dramatic reductions in mean delay, missed deadlines, and packet collisions by selectively discarding packets and sharing station state information. For example, in a 50 station network with a normalized offered load of 0.7, mean delay is reduced from more than 14 seconds to less than 45 ms, late packets are reduced from 76% to less than 1%, and packet collisions are reduced from 36% to less than 1%. Stations using RT-MAC are interoperable with stations using IEEE 802.11. In networks with both RT-MAC and IEEE 802.11 stations, significant performance improvements were seen even when more than half of the stations in the network were not RT-MAC stations. The effect of the wireless channel and its impact on the ability of a WLAN to meet packet deadlines is evaluated. It is found that, in some cases, other factors such as the number of stations in the network and the offered load are more significant than the condition of the wireless channel. Regression models are developed from simulation data to predict network behavior in terms of throughput, mean delay, missed deadline ratio, and collision ratio. Telemetry, avionics, and packetized voice traffic models are considered. The applicability of this research is not limited to real-time wireless networks. Indeed, the collision reduction algorithm of RT-MAC is independent of the data being transported. Furthermore, RT-MAC would perform equally well in wired networks. Incorporating the results of this research into existing protocols will result in immediate and dramatic improvements in network performance. / Ph. D.

The advent of synchronized phasor measurements allows the problem of real time prediction of instability and control to be considered. The use of direct methods for these on-line applications is assessed. The classical representation of a power system allows the use of two reference frames: Center of angle and one machine as reference. Formulae allowing transition between the two reference frames are derived. It is shown that the transient energy in both formulations is the same, and that line resistances do not dampen system oscillations. Examples illustrating the mathematical characterization of the region of attraction, exit point, closest u.e.p. and controlling u.e.p. methods are presented. Half-dimensional systems (reduced-order systems) are discussed. The general expression for the gradient system which accounts for transfer conductances is derived without making use of the infinite bus assumption. Examples illustrating the following items are presented: a) Effect of the linear ray approximation on the potential energy (inability to accurately locate the u.e.p.’s); b) Comparison of Kakimoto’s and Athay’s approach for PEBS crossing detection; c) BCU method and; d) One·parameter transversality condition. It is illustrated that if the assumption of the one-parameter transversality condition is not satisfied, the PEBS and BCU methods may give incorrect results for multi-swing stability. A procedure to determine if the u.e.p. found by the BCU method lies on the stability boundary of the original system is given. This procedure improves the BCU method for off~line applications when there is time for a hybrid approach (direct and conventional), but it does not improve it for on-line applications due to the following: a) It is time consuming and b) If it finds that the u.e.p. does not belong to the stability boundary it provides no information concerning the stability/instability of the system. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

We consider the problem of scheduling real-time tasks on a multiprocessor system. Our primary focus is scheduling on multiprocessor systems where the total task utilization demand, U, is greater than m, the number of processors on a multiprocessor system---i.e., the total available processing capacity of the system. When U > m, the system is said to be overloaded; otherwise, the system is said to be underloaded. While significant literature exists on multiprocessor real-time scheduling during underloads, little is known about scheduling during overloads, in particular, in the presence of task dependencies---e.g., due to synchronization constraints. We consider real-time tasks that are subject to time/utility function (or TUF) time constraints, which allow task urgency to be expressed independently of task importance---e.g., the most urgent task being the least important. The urgency/importance decoupling allowed by TUFs is especially important during overloads, when not all tasks can be optimally completed. We consider the timeliness optimization objective of maximizing the total accrued utility and the number of deadlines satisfied during overloads, while ensuring task mutual exclusion constraints and freedom from deadlocks. This problem is NP-hard. We develop a class of polynomial-time heuristic algorithms, called the Global Utility Accrual (or GUA) class of algorithms. The algorithms construct a directed acyclic graph representation of the task dependency relationship, and build a global multiprocessor schedule of the zero in-degree tasks to heuristically maximize the total accrued utility and ensure mutual exclusion. Potential deadlocks are detected through a cycle-detection algorithm, and resolved by aborting a task in the deadlock cycle. The GUA class of algorithms include two algorithms, namely, the Non-Greedy Global Utility Accrual (or NG-GUA) and Greedy Global Utility Accrual (or G-GUA) algorithms. NG-GUA and G-GUA differ in the way schedules are constructed towards meeting all task deadlines, when possible to do so. We establish several properties of the algorithms including conditions under which all task deadlines are met, satisfaction of mutual exclusion constraints, and deadlock-freedom. We create a Linux-based real-time kernel called ChronOS for multiprocessors. ChronOS is extended from the PREEMPT_RT real-time Linux patch, which provides optimized interrupt service latencies and real-time locking primitives. ChronOS provides a scheduling framework for the implementation of a broad range of real-time scheduling algorithms, including utility accrual, non-utility accrual, global, and partitioned scheduling algorithms. We implement the GUA class of algorithms and their competitors in ChronOS and conduct experimental studies. The competitors include G-EDF, G-NP-EDF, G-FIFO, gMUA, P-EDF and P-DASA. Our study reveals that the GUA class of algorithms accrue higher utility and satisfy greater number of deadlines than the deadline-based scheduling algorithms by as much as 750% and 600%, respectively. In addition, we observe that G-GUA accrues higher utility than NG-GUA during overloads by as much as 25% while NG-GUA satisfies greater number of deadlines than G-GUA by as much as 5% during underloads. / Master of Science

Patient wait times and care service times are key performance measures for care processes in hospitals. Managing the quality of care delivered by these processes in real-time is challenging. A key challenge is to correlate source medical events to infer the care process states that define patient wait times and care service times. Commercially available complex event processing engines do not have built in support for the concept of care process state. This makes it unnecessarily complex to define and maintain rules for inferring states from source medical events in a care process. Another challenge is how to present the data in a real-time BI dashboard and the underlying data model to use to support this BI dashboard. Data representation architecture can potentially lead to delays in processing and presenting the data in the BI dashboard. In this research, we have investigated the problem of real-time monitoring of care processes, performed a gap analysis of current information system support for it, researched and assessed available technologies, and shown how to most effectively leverage event driven and BI architectures when building information support for real-time monitoring of care processes. We introduce a state monitoring engine for inferring and managing states based on an application model for care process monitoring. A BI architecture is also leveraged for the data model to support the real-time data processing and reporting requirements of the application’s portal. The research is validated with a case study to create a real-time care process monitoring application for an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) clinical pathway in collaboration with IBM and Osler hospital. The research methodology is based on design-oriented research.

Nos últimos anos os sistemas embarcados tem-se tornado notório nos mercados de eletroeletrônicos de consumo, automação industrial e comercial e em veículos em geral. Grande parte destas aplicações possui restrições temporais, sendo assim caracterizadas como sistemas de tempo real embarcado. Atualmente, a computação distribuída tem alcançado este tipo de sistema e por razão principal em custos desses sistemas, alguns barramentos ou redes de comunicação vêm sendo empregados como plataforma de conexão entre módulos eletrônicos. Um exemplo de aplicação de sistemas embarcados distribuídos e de tempo real é a eletrônica embarcada em veículos automotores, onde se encontram várias unidades de controle eletrônico espalhadas interior desses veículos com diferentes funções e se comunicando via rede de comunicação. Algumas pesquisas importantes nesta área já apresentaram diferentes abordagens em sistemas distribuídos de tempo real (SDTR) objetivando cobrir a crescente demanda de desempenho, previsibilidade e confiabilidade dessas aplicações emergentes. Tais requisitos envolvem baixa latência de transmissão, baixa variabilidade no tempo (jitter), tolerância a falhas e suporte para atualizações futuras - flexibilidade. Particularmente na área automotiva, onde é considerada a possibilidade de substituição de dispositivosmecânicos/hidráulicos por sistemas eletrônicos, conhecidos como "by-wire" systems. Assegurar um comportamento previsível e confiável desses sistemas assim como agregar um nível de flexibilidade são características necessárias em grande parte de aplicações de SDTR. O modelo de comunicação FTT (Flexible Time-Triggered) apresentado nesta dissertação, apresenta um alto grau de flexibilidade em relação a outros protocolos, tais como TTCAN, TTP e FlexRay. Um sistema distribuído de tempo real baseado no modelo FTT se adapta às mudanças de requisitos da aplicação em tempo de execução, sendo possível adicionar novas unidades de controle eletrônico sobre a rede após a fase de projeto. Esta característica advém do escalonador dinâmico deste modelo de comunicação. Este trabalho apresenta algumas propostas de melhoria de desempenho de tempo de resposta do protocolo FTT-CAN, descrevendo alguns pontos negligenciados na atual especificação do protocolo. As propostas têm como foco a estratégia de disparo de mensagens e tarefas, sendo a primeira relacionada à transmissão de mensagens síncrona (ou time-triggered), onde existem dois inconvenientes que geram jitter neste segmento de transmissão; a segunda é relacionado ao disparo de tarefas, onde existem algumas deficiências na liberação de tarefas síncronas na atual especificação do protocolo FTT-CAN. / Embedded computing systems have become widely used in many areas. The greater part of those systems has time constraints and therefore they can be characterized as real time embedded systems. Nowadays, distributed computing has reached the embedded application, where some fieldbuses are already being used as communication platforms. Some important researches has presented different approaches in the real time distributed embedded system domain aiming to cover the growing demands of performance, predictability and reliability of emerging applications. Such requirements involve low latency, reduced jitter, time composability, fault-tolerance and support for future extensions – flexibility. Particularly in the automotive area, on which several mechanical and/or hydraulic systems are being replaced by electronic "by-wire"systems, the importance of ensuring predictable behavior while also presenting some degree of flexibility plays a key role. Regarding to the flexibility, the Flexible Time Triggered communication model stands out against the others ones due to its high degree of flexibility. In this context, the FTT communication model appears as an interesting approach due to its high degree of flexibility while still ensuring a deterministic timing behavior. A distributed system based on a FTT communication infrastructure can adapts to changing application requirements, making possible the addition of new messages and nodes during operation. In this way, the communication infrastructure needs to schedule newest messages on-line. This master’s work presents some proposals to improve the FTT-CAN response-time and indicating some drawbacks in already presented approaches. The improvements are concerning messages and tasks scheduling. Despite of its interesting characteristics, FTT CAN present some negative aspects regarding its timing behavior: the issue is on the synchronous message transmission, where there are two neglected points that generate jitter in this traffic; the other one is tasks dispatching, where there are some deficiencies concerning synchronous tasks execution. These disadvantages were not discussed in literature yet. This work presents new proposals to task and message scheduling of FFT-CAN based applications, therefore overcoming some of the main drawbacks of the protocol.

Nos últimos anos os sistemas embarcados tem-se tornado notório nos mercados de eletroeletrônicos de consumo, automação industrial e comercial e em veículos em geral. Grande parte destas aplicações possui restrições temporais, sendo assim caracterizadas como sistemas de tempo real embarcado. Atualmente, a computação distribuída tem alcançado este tipo de sistema e por razão principal em custos desses sistemas, alguns barramentos ou redes de comunicação vêm sendo empregados como plataforma de conexão entre módulos eletrônicos. Um exemplo de aplicação de sistemas embarcados distribuídos e de tempo real é a eletrônica embarcada em veículos automotores, onde se encontram várias unidades de controle eletrônico espalhadas interior desses veículos com diferentes funções e se comunicando via rede de comunicação. Algumas pesquisas importantes nesta área já apresentaram diferentes abordagens em sistemas distribuídos de tempo real (SDTR) objetivando cobrir a crescente demanda de desempenho, previsibilidade e confiabilidade dessas aplicações emergentes. Tais requisitos envolvem baixa latência de transmissão, baixa variabilidade no tempo (jitter), tolerância a falhas e suporte para atualizações futuras - flexibilidade. Particularmente na área automotiva, onde é considerada a possibilidade de substituição de dispositivosmecânicos/hidráulicos por sistemas eletrônicos, conhecidos como "by-wire" systems. Assegurar um comportamento previsível e confiável desses sistemas assim como agregar um nível de flexibilidade são características necessárias em grande parte de aplicações de SDTR. O modelo de comunicação FTT (Flexible Time-Triggered) apresentado nesta dissertação, apresenta um alto grau de flexibilidade em relação a outros protocolos, tais como TTCAN, TTP e FlexRay. Um sistema distribuído de tempo real baseado no modelo FTT se adapta às mudanças de requisitos da aplicação em tempo de execução, sendo possível adicionar novas unidades de controle eletrônico sobre a rede após a fase de projeto. Esta característica advém do escalonador dinâmico deste modelo de comunicação. Este trabalho apresenta algumas propostas de melhoria de desempenho de tempo de resposta do protocolo FTT-CAN, descrevendo alguns pontos negligenciados na atual especificação do protocolo. As propostas têm como foco a estratégia de disparo de mensagens e tarefas, sendo a primeira relacionada à transmissão de mensagens síncrona (ou time-triggered), onde existem dois inconvenientes que geram jitter neste segmento de transmissão; a segunda é relacionado ao disparo de tarefas, onde existem algumas deficiências na liberação de tarefas síncronas na atual especificação do protocolo FTT-CAN. / Embedded computing systems have become widely used in many areas. The greater part of those systems has time constraints and therefore they can be characterized as real time embedded systems. Nowadays, distributed computing has reached the embedded application, where some fieldbuses are already being used as communication platforms. Some important researches has presented different approaches in the real time distributed embedded system domain aiming to cover the growing demands of performance, predictability and reliability of emerging applications. Such requirements involve low latency, reduced jitter, time composability, fault-tolerance and support for future extensions – flexibility. Particularly in the automotive area, on which several mechanical and/or hydraulic systems are being replaced by electronic "by-wire"systems, the importance of ensuring predictable behavior while also presenting some degree of flexibility plays a key role. Regarding to the flexibility, the Flexible Time Triggered communication model stands out against the others ones due to its high degree of flexibility. In this context, the FTT communication model appears as an interesting approach due to its high degree of flexibility while still ensuring a deterministic timing behavior. A distributed system based on a FTT communication infrastructure can adapts to changing application requirements, making possible the addition of new messages and nodes during operation. In this way, the communication infrastructure needs to schedule newest messages on-line. This master’s work presents some proposals to improve the FTT-CAN response-time and indicating some drawbacks in already presented approaches. The improvements are concerning messages and tasks scheduling. Despite of its interesting characteristics, FTT CAN present some negative aspects regarding its timing behavior: the issue is on the synchronous message transmission, where there are two neglected points that generate jitter in this traffic; the other one is tasks dispatching, where there are some deficiencies concerning synchronous tasks execution. These disadvantages were not discussed in literature yet. This work presents new proposals to task and message scheduling of FFT-CAN based applications, therefore overcoming some of the main drawbacks of the protocol.

Nos últimos anos os sistemas embarcados tem-se tornado notório nos mercados de eletroeletrônicos de consumo, automação industrial e comercial e em veículos em geral. Grande parte destas aplicações possui restrições temporais, sendo assim caracterizadas como sistemas de tempo real embarcado. Atualmente, a computação distribuída tem alcançado este tipo de sistema e por razão principal em custos desses sistemas, alguns barramentos ou redes de comunicação vêm sendo empregados como plataforma de conexão entre módulos eletrônicos. Um exemplo de aplicação de sistemas embarcados distribuídos e de tempo real é a eletrônica embarcada em veículos automotores, onde se encontram várias unidades de controle eletrônico espalhadas interior desses veículos com diferentes funções e se comunicando via rede de comunicação. Algumas pesquisas importantes nesta área já apresentaram diferentes abordagens em sistemas distribuídos de tempo real (SDTR) objetivando cobrir a crescente demanda de desempenho, previsibilidade e confiabilidade dessas aplicações emergentes. Tais requisitos envolvem baixa latência de transmissão, baixa variabilidade no tempo (jitter), tolerância a falhas e suporte para atualizações futuras - flexibilidade. Particularmente na área automotiva, onde é considerada a possibilidade de substituição de dispositivosmecânicos/hidráulicos por sistemas eletrônicos, conhecidos como "by-wire" systems. Assegurar um comportamento previsível e confiável desses sistemas assim como agregar um nível de flexibilidade são características necessárias em grande parte de aplicações de SDTR. O modelo de comunicação FTT (Flexible Time-Triggered) apresentado nesta dissertação, apresenta um alto grau de flexibilidade em relação a outros protocolos, tais como TTCAN, TTP e FlexRay. Um sistema distribuído de tempo real baseado no modelo FTT se adapta às mudanças de requisitos da aplicação em tempo de execução, sendo possível adicionar novas unidades de controle eletrônico sobre a rede após a fase de projeto. Esta característica advém do escalonador dinâmico deste modelo de comunicação. Este trabalho apresenta algumas propostas de melhoria de desempenho de tempo de resposta do protocolo FTT-CAN, descrevendo alguns pontos negligenciados na atual especificação do protocolo. As propostas têm como foco a estratégia de disparo de mensagens e tarefas, sendo a primeira relacionada à transmissão de mensagens síncrona (ou time-triggered), onde existem dois inconvenientes que geram jitter neste segmento de transmissão; a segunda é relacionado ao disparo de tarefas, onde existem algumas deficiências na liberação de tarefas síncronas na atual especificação do protocolo FTT-CAN. / Embedded computing systems have become widely used in many areas. The greater part of those systems has time constraints and therefore they can be characterized as real time embedded systems. Nowadays, distributed computing has reached the embedded application, where some fieldbuses are already being used as communication platforms. Some important researches has presented different approaches in the real time distributed embedded system domain aiming to cover the growing demands of performance, predictability and reliability of emerging applications. Such requirements involve low latency, reduced jitter, time composability, fault-tolerance and support for future extensions – flexibility. Particularly in the automotive area, on which several mechanical and/or hydraulic systems are being replaced by electronic "by-wire"systems, the importance of ensuring predictable behavior while also presenting some degree of flexibility plays a key role. Regarding to the flexibility, the Flexible Time Triggered communication model stands out against the others ones due to its high degree of flexibility. In this context, the FTT communication model appears as an interesting approach due to its high degree of flexibility while still ensuring a deterministic timing behavior. A distributed system based on a FTT communication infrastructure can adapts to changing application requirements, making possible the addition of new messages and nodes during operation. In this way, the communication infrastructure needs to schedule newest messages on-line. This master’s work presents some proposals to improve the FTT-CAN response-time and indicating some drawbacks in already presented approaches. The improvements are concerning messages and tasks scheduling. Despite of its interesting characteristics, FTT CAN present some negative aspects regarding its timing behavior: the issue is on the synchronous message transmission, where there are two neglected points that generate jitter in this traffic; the other one is tasks dispatching, where there are some deficiencies concerning synchronous tasks execution. These disadvantages were not discussed in literature yet. This work presents new proposals to task and message scheduling of FFT-CAN based applications, therefore overcoming some of the main drawbacks of the protocol.

In this study a 3D-application was developed to use for visualizing a website and its visitors in real time. The 3D application was developed to be used in websites developed in the CMS Episerver. This study has investigated the benefits of being able to see how website visitors navigate between webpages in real time, how scalable the implemented 3D application is, if its possible to develop a 3D application that can be implemented in Episerver websites and what the benefits of using 3D compared to 2D or text logs for the end user are. The 3D visualisation was built using the JavaScript library Babylon.js and works by modifying the Episerver Controller class to store relevant visitor data each time a visitor makes a HTTP request to the webserver. The data is then used with Babylon to render animations and visitor representations in the 3D application. Results show that a real time view of a website can be beneficial to be able to see load distribution, where visitors are positioned before restarting the server, to be used in user tests and in customer service cases and that the majority of questioned webadministrators thinks that it would be beneficial to be able to see their visitors in real time. Results also show that the application is not very scalable and that the use of 3D may not be beneficial for the end user. Finally recommendations for future development is presented and discussed. / I detta projekt utvecklades en 3D-visualisering av en webbplats vars syfte var att synliggöra besökares rörelser på webbplatsen i realtid. Visualiseringen skulle utvecklas på ett vis som gav enkel implementation på webbplatser byggda i Episerver. Studien undersöker huruvida det är möjligt att utveckla en 3D- visualisering för Episerver, eventuella fördelar med att se besökare i realtid, hur skalbar applikationen är samt vilka fördelar 3D har för slutanvändaren. 3D- visualiseringen byggdes i JavaScript-biblioteket Babylon.js och fungerar genom att modifiera Episervers controller-klass till att spara nödvändig information från besökaren vid varje förfrågan till servern. Datan används till att rita ut och animera besökares positioner på den 3D-renderade webbplatsen. Resultaten visar att det kan vara användbart att se besökare i realtid för att se lastdistribution på webbplatsen, för att undvika att besökare är i kritiska lägen vid omstart av servern, för att handleda besökare i kundserviceärenden eller för att samla information vid användartest. Vidare visar resultaten att applikationen inte är särskilt skalbar och att 3D inte är ger mervärde för slutanvändaren annat än för imponatoreffekt.

Patient wait times and care service times are key performance measures for care processes in hospitals. Managing the quality of care delivered by these processes in real-time is challenging. A key challenge is to correlate source medical events to infer the care process states that define patient wait times and care service times. Commercially available complex event processing engines do not have built in support for the concept of care process state. This makes it unnecessarily complex to define and maintain rules for inferring states from source medical events in a care process. Another challenge is how to present the data in a real-time BI dashboard and the underlying data model to use to support this BI dashboard. Data representation architecture can potentially lead to delays in processing and presenting the data in the BI dashboard. In this research, we have investigated the problem of real-time monitoring of care processes, performed a gap analysis of current information system support for it, researched and assessed available technologies, and shown how to most effectively leverage event driven and BI architectures when building information support for real-time monitoring of care processes. We introduce a state monitoring engine for inferring and managing states based on an application model for care process monitoring. A BI architecture is also leveraged for the data model to support the real-time data processing and reporting requirements of the application’s portal. The research is validated with a case study to create a real-time care process monitoring application for an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) clinical pathway in collaboration with IBM and Osler hospital. The research methodology is based on design-oriented research.