The Swedish field of digital X-ray imaging has since several years relied heavily on distributed information systems and digital storage containers. To ensure accurate and safe radiological reporting, Swedish software-firm eCare AB delivers a system called Feedback—the first and only quality assurance IT support product of its kind. This thesis covers several aspects of the design and implementation of future versions of this software platform. The focus lies on distributed directory services and models for secure and robust data propagation in TCP/IP networks. For data propagation, a new application, InfoBroker, has been designed and implemented to facilitate integration between Feedback and other medical IT support systems. The directory services, introduced in this thesis as the Feedback Directory Services, have been designed on the architectural level. A combination of CORBA and Java Enterprise Edition is suggested as the implementation platform.

Since the early eighties researchers have been studying the use of technology that supports collaboration amongst co-workers and group members. This field of computer science became known as Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). With the advent of wireless and mobile Internet communication technologies research in the CSCW field has been focused on providing “access, anytime and anywhere”. The main contribution of this study is to introduce and analyze the technology required to support casually connected collaboration. Firstly, we define casually connected collaboration as having “access, anytime and anywhere” to collaborators and resources without having explicit control or knowledge over the environment and its technical abilities. In order to distinguish between connected, mobile, and casually connected collaboration we introduce a conceptual model of collaboration that extrapolates the term “access, anytime and anywhere”. We then aim to prove the soundness of our model by using it to classify some well known collaboration scenarios. Furthermore, by evaluating the functional and non-functional requirements for a casually connected collaboration solution, we argue that current commercial and CSCW research implementations do not sufficiently meet these demands. We then present Nomad: a Peer-to-Peer framework specifically designed to overcome the challenges encountered in casually connected collaboration. We study the technology requirements and highlight the implementation details that enabled us to successfully conform to the requirements set by casually connected collaboration. Finally, we pave the road for future work by investigating new features introduced into the Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.0, Visual Studio 2010 and language enhancements made to C# version 4.0. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Computer Science / unrestricted

Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) is the study of how people use technology, with relation to hardware and software, to work together in shared time and space. Mobile office environments are becoming commonplace. Workers form virtual online communities on a global scale and use groupware to collaborate and complete a common goal. We tend to be mobile, yet need to be available to collaborate. This thesis investigates a protocol for our decentralized artifact control system, Nomad. Nomad enables globally dispersed members of small casually connected communities to share artifacts which are gathered on a best effort approach. The Nomad protocol takes into consideration the work habits of users and their variety of devices. The major contribution of this thesis is a simulator of the Nomad protocol, which serves as a proof-of-concept for its design. Specifically, we look at how such a protocol handles casually connected small communities. We consider high level aspects such as setting up the community, the overhead of nodes, availability, scalability and connectivity. We demonstrate scenarios that the protocol will need to handle. Furthermore, we take a broad look at CSCW, push and pull technologies, peer-to-peer technologies, and enabling technologies such as Microsoft .Net. These form the basis of the Nomad design. In addition, we suggest the integration of mobile agents, which we consider a future addition to Nomad. It was found that the protocol had to compensate for two nodes that were never online at the same time. In the case that a best effort approach is not feasible, we propose alternate approaches at the cost of overhead on a propagation node. The developed concept provided valuable insight into the problem domain, outlined the boundaries of the protocol and provided a possible solution for Nomad. The simulator proved to be a useful tool for determining outcomes from possible scenarios. The results from the simulator will feed directly into the development of Nomad. / Dissertation (MSc (Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Computer Science / unrestricted

Comprendre les performances d'une application multi-thread est difficile. Les threads interfèrent quand ils accèdent à la même ressource, ce qui ralentit leur exécution. Malheureusement, les outils de profiling existants se focalisent sur l'identification des causes de l'interférence, et non pas sur ses effets.Le développeur ne peut donc pas conclure si l'optimisation d'une interférence identifiée par un outil de profiling peut mener à une meilleure performance. Dans cette thèse, on propose de compléter les outils existants par un outil orienté-effet capable de quantifier l'impact de l'interférence sur la performance, indépendamment de la cause de l'interférence. Avec une évaluation de 27 applications, on montre que notre outil réussit à identifier 12 bottlenecks causés par 6 types d'interférence différents / Understanding the performance of a multi-threaded application is difficult. The threads interfere when they access the same resource, which slows their execution down. Unfortunately, current profiling tools focus on identifying the interference causes, not their effects.The developer can thus not know if optimizing the interference reported by a profiling tool can lead to better performance. In this thesis, we propose to complete the profiling toolbox with an effect-oriented profiling tool able to indicate how much interference impacts performance, regardless of the interference cause. With an evaluation of 27 applications, we show that our tool successfully identifies 12 performance bottlenecks caused by 6 different kinds of interference

During the system and software development process for distributed systems, the development of the overall system design is critical for correctness, performance, and reliability. The objective of this thesis is the improvement of methods and tools that can be used to obtain a correct design model for distributed system components automatically by deriving the design model from the global system requirements. Mainly, we are concerned with the transformation from a global requirements model to a distributed design model. The global requirements model describes the behavior of a distributed system in an abstract manner by defining the local actions to be performed by different roles which represent actors in the different system components. The distributed design model defines the behavior of each actor separately, including its local actions plus the exchange of coordination messages, which are necessary to assure that the actions are performed in the required order. In this work, we first consider a global requirements model in the form of partially ordered actions similar to High-level Message Sequence Chart (HMSC). We study the realizability of the global requirements, which is said to be directly realizable if a design model can be constructed without any coordination messages. We study some problems which prevent direct realizability, such as strict sequence, non-local choice, non-deterministic choice, termination race, and others, and show under which conditions these problems are absent and the global model is directly realizable. For the other cases, we show how a conforming design model can be obtained by introducing a minimal number of coordination messages. In this context, we also show under which conditions sequence numbers are required in the messages of a weak while loop. Then we study the automatic derivation of a distributed design model using a tool. In order to obtain an easily readable notation for the global requirements model, we adapt the HMSC notation to the UML Hierarchical State Machine (HSM) notation and extend this notation to describe the roles that participate in the actions of each state of the global behavior. A simple state represents some local actions of a single role, while a hierarchical state usually represents a collaboration between several roles. Then we describe a derivation algorithm that can be applied to a global model written in this proposed HSM notation and generates a distributable UML HSM model, which contains a hierarchical state machine for each role of the application. We implemented this derivation algorithm as a tool in the context of the Umple UML development environment. This tool takes a global requirements model written in the extended HSM notation as input and automatically generates a UML HSM model. The distributed implementation environment described in Zakariapour’s thesis is used for generating a distributed Java implementation, where each distributed component contains one Java run-time environment and realizes the behavior of one or several of the roles of the application. A Travel Management System illustrative example has been discussed to illustrate the representation of the global model using the extended HSM notation and to demonstrate the correctness of the generated design models by the tool.

Researchers in software engineering proposed design method for distributed applications to construct a set of communicating system components from a global behavior. The joint behaviors of these components must precisely satisfy the specified global behavior. The next concern is to transform the constructed models of these components into executable business processes by ensuring the exchange of asynchronous messages among the generated business processes. The introduction of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has helped to achieve this goal. SOA provides high flexibility in composing loosely-integrated services that can be used among business domains to carry out business transactions; this composition is known as service orchestration. Moreover, SOA supports Model Driven Architecture (MDA) such that services modeled as UML Activity Diagrams (AD) can be transformed into a set of Business Execution Language (BPEL) processes. Many researchers discussed the transformation of UML AD and the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) into BPEL. However, they did not discuss the practical limitations that some of these transformations impose. This thesis addresses the imitations of the transformation from UML AD to BPEL processes using the IBM Rational Software Architect (RSA). We showed here that the tool is unable to create the correct BPEL artifacts from UML AD components in certain cases, for instance when the behavior includes the alternative for receiving single or concurrent messages, a weak loop, or certain choice activities. Furthermore, we provided novel solutions to the transformations in these cases in order to facilitate the transformation from UML AD to BPEL.

Na segunda metade dos anos 2000, foram desenvolvidos projetos de pesquisa para o desenvolvimento de plataformas visando facilitar a criação de aplicativos para o ambiente de nuvem. A partir de estudos sobre as soluções de elasticidade para nuvens de computação desenvolvidas, observou-se a concentração de soluções de elasticidade com foco no gerenciamento de recursos de processamento e armazenamento para aplicações do tipo cliente-servidor. Porém, no caso das aplicações de distribuição de conteúdo, os recursos de rede que são limitados e também devem ser gerenciados de forma a evitar desperdícios. Devido a estas características, é interessante o desenvolvimento de uma plataforma aberta para a criação de aplicações distribuídas que auxiliem o gerenciamento de recursos e elasticidade no contexto de computação em nuvem. Esta dissertação apresenta o Trade Wind, uma solução que permite o desenvolvimento de aplicações e serviços distribuídos para o gerenciamento automático de recursos e elasticidade em nuvens de computação. A solução é composta por um modelo de desenvolvimento de soluções elásticas, um modelo de composição de aplicações a partir da implementação de funcionalidades e serviços, uma arquitetura e um middleware. Para a avaliação e validação da solução proposta foi implementado um protótipo de testes e uma aplicação de distribuição de fluxos de vídeo em tempo real, com redução automática de fluxos redundantes. Os resultados obtidos validaram o funcionamento da aplicação de prova de conceito adaptada para o funcionamento em conjunto com o Trade Wind, assim como sua funcionalidade adicional de fornecimento de fluxos de vídeo em multicanais. A aplicação de redução de fluxos redundantes provou reduzir pela metade o consumo de banda no cenário de teste configurado, tendo potencial de maior economia no caso de aumento do número de fluxos redundantes. / Research projects have started working on cloud computing platforms to help cloud applications to be developed in an easiest manner, from year 2000 on. Studies about cloud computing elasticity solutions showed many works were focusing in processing and storage resource management for client-server applications. However, only a small number of research works explore the potential of application contexts regarding network resource management (e.g., content distribution applications). Therefore it is interesting to develop an open platform for distributed applications development helping to manage resources and elasticity in clouds. This dissertation presents Trade Wind, a solution to help the development of distributed applications and services for cloud computing resource and elasticity management. The solution is composed by an elastic application development model, an application compostion model from features and services development, an architecture and a middleware. In order to evaluate and validate the suggested solution, it was developed a test prototype implementing an application for real time video streams distribution utilizing an automatic redundant streams reduction feature. The results collected from the test executions validate Trade Wind solution running the adapted proof of concept application. The tests also showed the multichannel feature added working in a adequate manner. The redundant streams reduction application has proven to reduce bandwidth consumption by the half in the configured test scenarios. And it also has potential to save more bandwidth resources in a scenario with higher number of redundant video streams.

Técnicas e ferramentas (middlewares para desenvolvimento de aplicações distribuídas são utilizadas no caso dos recursos de um único computador não serem suficientes, ou para atender requisitos de qualidade de serviço, ou mesmo para abranger uma maior quantidade de usuários. A Realidade Virtual é uma das áreas da computação a sua complexidade, se beneficia de tais técnicas e middlewares, seja para proporcionar ambientes mais imersivos e/ou possibilitar a interação de múltiplos usuários. A Realidade Virtual engloba uma ampla diversidade de aplicações, incluindo infraestruturas de alta imersão, jogos multi-jogadores, e simuladores de voo, e cada classe de aplicação têm demandas específicas de distribuição, como escalabilidade, ou requisitos de tempo-real, entre outros. Devido à complexidade e a essa diversidade de aplicações de realidade virtual, as alternativas de middlewares disponíveis atendem requisitos específicos de uma única classe, ou, as genéricas, não fornecem modelos de objetos, comunicação ou execução favoráveis às aplicações de realidade virtual. Esse trabalho tem o objetivo de propor um novo modelo de objetos e arquitetura de um middleware para desenvolvimento de aplicações distribuídas de realidade virtual suficientemente flexível para atender diversas classes de aplicações. O modelo de objetos proposto une os modelos publicador/assinante e requisição/ resposta em uma única entidade similar aos objetos do paradigma de programação orientada a objetos, que, além de empregar conceitos intuitivos para desenvolvedores, possibilita o desacoplamento lógico entre os processos, simplificando o projeto e a implementação das aplicações distribuídas. O principal diferencial desta abordagem é a possibilidade de distribuir a implementação de cada membro dos objetos em diferentes processos. / Techniques and middlewares for distributed application development are used in cases the resources available in a single computer are not enough for the demanded complexity, to meet the required quality of services, or even to cover a greater number of users. The Virtual Reality is one of the computer fields that, because of its complexity, benefits from such techniques and tools, either to provide more immersive virtual environments, or to enable multi-user interaction. The Virtual Reality covers a wide range of applications, including high immersion infrastructures, multiplayer games, and full mission flight simulators. Each application class has specifics distribution demands, such as high scalability, or real-time requirements. Because of complexity and the diversity of virtual reality applications, the distribution solutions available meet the specific requirements of a single class, or the generic ones do not provide object, communication, or execution favorable for virtual reality applications. This work proposes a new model of objects and architecture of a middleware for distributed virtual reality applications that is flexible enough to suit several classes of applications. The proposed object model joins the publisher/subscriber and request/response models to a single logic entity similar to the objects of the object-oriented programming paradigm. Besides being an intuitive concept for developers, this entity enable logical decoupling between processes, simplifying the design and implementation of distributed applications. The main feature of this approach is the possibility to distribute the implementation of each member of the objects in different processes.

Este trabalho apresenta uma ferramenta de apoio ao desenvolvimento de aplicações distribuídas, baseadas em RPCs, para o ambiente Windows 95. Discute, ainda, algumas aplicações construídas para validar o sistema, as quais seguem o paradigma cliente-servidor. É feita uma revisão bibliográfica dos assuntos mais relevantes relacionados ao tema e apresentados os detalhes de implementação da ferramenta. Esta foi implementada com técnicas de orientação a objetos, sendo composta por um Gerador Automático de Stubs e uma Biblioteca RPC, além de possibilitar a utilização de um Serviço de Binding. As aplicações construídas procuram explorar as potencialidades da ferramenta, sendo fornecidas também orientações gerais para o desenvolvimento de aplicações distribuídas no ambiente Windows 95. / This work presents a tool to support the development of RPC-based distributed applications in the Windows 95 environment. It also discusses some applications built to validate the system, which follow the client-server model. A theoretical review of the most relevant topics related to the field is done and the tool’s implementation details are presented. This tool was implemented with object-oriented techniques and comprises an automatic Stub Generator and an RPC Library, together with a Binding Service. The distributed applications that were built try to explore the tool’s full potential. General guidelines regarding the development of distributed applications for the Windows 95 environment are also provided.

Na segunda metade dos anos 2000, foram desenvolvidos projetos de pesquisa para o desenvolvimento de plataformas visando facilitar a criação de aplicativos para o ambiente de nuvem. A partir de estudos sobre as soluções de elasticidade para nuvens de computação desenvolvidas, observou-se a concentração de soluções de elasticidade com foco no gerenciamento de recursos de processamento e armazenamento para aplicações do tipo cliente-servidor. Porém, no caso das aplicações de distribuição de conteúdo, os recursos de rede que são limitados e também devem ser gerenciados de forma a evitar desperdícios. Devido a estas características, é interessante o desenvolvimento de uma plataforma aberta para a criação de aplicações distribuídas que auxiliem o gerenciamento de recursos e elasticidade no contexto de computação em nuvem. Esta dissertação apresenta o Trade Wind, uma solução que permite o desenvolvimento de aplicações e serviços distribuídos para o gerenciamento automático de recursos e elasticidade em nuvens de computação. A solução é composta por um modelo de desenvolvimento de soluções elásticas, um modelo de composição de aplicações a partir da implementação de funcionalidades e serviços, uma arquitetura e um middleware. Para a avaliação e validação da solução proposta foi implementado um protótipo de testes e uma aplicação de distribuição de fluxos de vídeo em tempo real, com redução automática de fluxos redundantes. Os resultados obtidos validaram o funcionamento da aplicação de prova de conceito adaptada para o funcionamento em conjunto com o Trade Wind, assim como sua funcionalidade adicional de fornecimento de fluxos de vídeo em multicanais. A aplicação de redução de fluxos redundantes provou reduzir pela metade o consumo de banda no cenário de teste configurado, tendo potencial de maior economia no caso de aumento do número de fluxos redundantes. / Research projects have started working on cloud computing platforms to help cloud applications to be developed in an easiest manner, from year 2000 on. Studies about cloud computing elasticity solutions showed many works were focusing in processing and storage resource management for client-server applications. However, only a small number of research works explore the potential of application contexts regarding network resource management (e.g., content distribution applications). Therefore it is interesting to develop an open platform for distributed applications development helping to manage resources and elasticity in clouds. This dissertation presents Trade Wind, a solution to help the development of distributed applications and services for cloud computing resource and elasticity management. The solution is composed by an elastic application development model, an application compostion model from features and services development, an architecture and a middleware. In order to evaluate and validate the suggested solution, it was developed a test prototype implementing an application for real time video streams distribution utilizing an automatic redundant streams reduction feature. The results collected from the test executions validate Trade Wind solution running the adapted proof of concept application. The tests also showed the multichannel feature added working in a adequate manner. The redundant streams reduction application has proven to reduce bandwidth consumption by the half in the configured test scenarios. And it also has potential to save more bandwidth resources in a scenario with higher number of redundant video streams.