Position Paper on In-Network Object Cloud Architecture and Design Goals. Interconnecting Smart Objects with Internet Workshop 25 th March 2011

Transcription

1 Architecture and Design Gals Intercnnecting Smart Objects with Internet Wrkshp 25 th March 2011 Alex Galis Stuart Clayman University Cllege Lndn Department f Electrnic and Electrical Engineering Trringtn Place, Lndn WC1E 7JE United Kingdm Table f cntents 1. Integrating IT with Internet Mtivatin Internet Cnnected Objects Internet Integratin In-Netwrk Object Clud Architecture fr the Internet Cnnected Objects... 3

2 1. Integrating IT with Internet 1.1 Mtivatin The Internet f Things (IT) has evlved frm simple sensrs int Internet-cnnected bjects and Internetcnnected smart bjects, all f which will be a key cmpnent f the Future Internet. Fr maximum benefit and usefulness f these cnnected bjects we need t enable generic integratin f the functins f these intercnnected bjects in the cntext f bth user services and system management frm the wrld f Internet. This integratin must encmpass a netwrk and service infrastructure, having dynamic and glbal resurces with self-* capabilities tgether with a unifrm interfaces. This psitin paper utlines a radmap f architecture, design gals and supprting technlgies. Current smart bject slutins and research activities fail t address sme f the main issues required fr the full realisatin f IT int a fully cnnected Internet envirnment: namely, identity, scalability, self-* prperties fr small bjects with limited cnnectin and cmputatin capabilities, security, and rchestratin and management f billins f devices. Therefre, a significant effrt is needed fr enabling Internet-cnnected bjects t becme seamlessly integrated in the Internet, including peratr netwrks and applicatins f imprtant real-life stakehlders. 1.2 Internet Cnnected Objects The ntin f an Internet Cnnected Object r an Internet f Smart Objects frm the Internet f Things (IT) is emerging glbally as research theme in the area f federatin. The paradigms f autnmic netwrking will enable the IT industry stakehlders t achieve the desired levels f ecnmic incentives, dynamicity, efficiency, and scalability, in rder t manage bth the current and future services, tgether with netwrks f bject-based resurces that are becming mre and mre pervasive and sphisticated. This is why there is a need t gather all f the relevant cmpetencies t prgress this field int maturity by generating high levels f industrial impact, maintaining a business-driven apprach, and utilising the high-value f previus wrk. Smart Objects are emerging in very large numbers as new Internet cnnectivity pints, as well as new resurces fr use by netwrks, services, and applicatins. As such, these Internet-cnnected bjects are an integral part f the Internet and shuld be defined as a dynamic and glbal resurces, rather than just simple sensr devices. T participate effectively, they require a netwrk and service infrastructure with self-management capabilities, based n interperable cmmunicatins prtcls, and enablers fr rapid, cst-effective service and applicatin deplyment. One imprtant integratin element fr these Internet Cnnected Objects is the intrductin f a virtualizatin mechanism that ffers a virtualized view f the intercnnected bjects t the applicatins, as well as views fr supprting the virtualizatin f bjects and their cmbinatin in virtual aggregatins. 1.3 Internet The current Internet has been funded and develped in the last 40 years n a basic architectural premise, that is: a simple netwrk service can be used as a universal means t intercnnect bth dumb and intelligent end systems. The simplicity f the current Internet has pushed cmplexity int the end-pints, and has allwed impressive scale in terms f inter-cnnected devices. Hwever, while the scale has nt yet reached its limits, the grwth f functinality and the grwth in size have bth slwed dwn and may sn reach bth its architectural capability and capacity limits. Internet applicatins increasingly require a cmbinatin f capabilities frm traditinally separate technlgy dmains t deliver the flexibility and dependability demanded by users. Internet use is expected t grw massively ver the next few years with an rder f magnitude mre Internet services, the intercnnectin f smart bjects frm the Internet f Things (IT), and the integratin f increasingly demanding enterprise and scietal applicatins. Althugh the current Internet has been extrardinarily successful, as a ubiquitus and universal means fr cmmunicatin and cmputatin, there are still many unslved prblems and challenges sme f which have basic aspects. Many aspects leading t these prblems culd nt have been freseen when the first parts f the Internet were built, but these d need t be addressed nw. The very success f the Internet is nw creating bstacles t the future innvatin f bth the netwrking technlgy that lies at the Internet s cre and the services that use it. We are faced with an Internet that is gd at delivering packets, but shws a level f inflexibility at the netwrk and service layers with a lack f built-in facilities t supprt any nn-basic functinality. Intercnnecting Smart Objects with Internet Wrkshp 25 th March 2011 Page 2 f 5

3 1.4 Integratin This psitin paper attempts t identify a radmap fr the integratin f the wrld f Internet f Things and the wrld f Internet and unite them int a single cmbined wrld. This transitin cmbines the architectural elements frm bth IT and Internet and the transitin is depicted in Errr! Reference surce nt fund.. The resurce-based bjects will have identities, physical and virtual attributes, and use intelligent service interfaces t enable seamless integratin int the infrmatin, cntext and knwledge planes f the Internet. The service interfaces fr such bjects wuld facilitate: bject interactins and interperatin ver the Internet; the querying and changing f an bject s state, infrmatin, and behaviur assciated with it; event-based ntificatin mechanisms and prcessing; applicatins and service deplyment with seamless raming acrss f the Internet, fr mixed bject and nn-bject resurces Figure 1 IT transitin twards integratin with Internet Integrating the intercnnected smart bjects frm the Internet f Things int the Internet wuld require slutins and capabilities, which are fundamentally missing frm the current Internet infrastructure. These can be described as fllws: Technlgy aspects: Energy-aware Infrastructures; Mbility f Services and devices; Inherent system management (self-*); Adequate addressing and bject naming schemes; Activatin and n-demand prvisining f new functinality; Large scale and scalable deplyment f bth services and management; Advanced service platfrms and facilities, which take advantage f flexible sharing f resurces (e.g. cnnectivity, cmputatin, strage and bject based resurces); Cntent-awareness facilities; Infrastructures and serviceware fr intercnnectin f smart bjects. Applicatins and Scial aspects: Future Knwledge-based sciety; New applicatins and usage; Guaranteeing and facilities t supprt QS and SLA. Security, Trust and Privacy aspects: Distributed Security, Enhanced Trust and Privacy Ecnmic aspects: Cst cnsideratins; ecnmic viability f service ffering including the need fr apprpriate incentives, diverse business mdels, legal, regulative and gvernance issues. 2. In-Netwrk Object Clud Architecture fr the Internet Cnnected Objects IT cmprises a digital verlay f infrmatin ver a highly hetergeneus physical wrld f bjects. In the near future, such bjects are expected t utnumber the human ppulatin by at least ne rder f magnitude. The IT is Intercnnecting Smart Objects with Internet Wrkshp 25 th March 2011 Page 3 f 5

4 expected t prvide t Internet a resurce fabric interfacing the physical wrld by means f a ubiquitusly deplyed substrate f embedded cnnected r netwrked devices. The resurces prvided are sensrs, actuatrs, Radi Frequency Identificatin (RFID) tags / readers, Near Field Cmmunicatin (NFC) enabled devices, Smart Objects which are small cmputers with a sensr and/r actuatr and a cmmunicatin device, etc. These bjects have the capability t prcess (mnitr, recrd, and manage) events and cntext infrmatin cncerning the real wrld and the entities cntained within. Business services and end-user applicatins wuld use such events, cntext infrmatin, and interactin capabilities f the bjects with respect t real wrld entities. This includes finding the relevant entities and then the resurces that prvide infrmatin abut these entities r allw interactins with them. Here we prpse the develpment f a new architecture and infrastructure as an In-Netwrk Object Clud that enables the fllwing functinality and characteristics: Virtualisatin f all resurces: Object resurces, Service Cmputatin resurces, and Netwrking resurces. Efficient linking f real wrld entities with relevant resurces f the IT. Infrmatin and Cntext mdel and services t bjects and applicatins. Service and self-management enablers fr applicatins and service prvisining n the platfrm. Federatin capabilities enabling service raming within multiple dmains. Unifrm service interfaces and business driven interfaces t enable generic integratin f the intercnnected bject functins in the cntext f user services, taking special care f preserving their autnmus peratin capability. Intrduce security and privacy framewrk tailred t the needs f the IT wrld. Intrductin f ecnmic mechanisms and services that enable the interactin amng the stakehlders participating in the value chain, and the exchange f prper ecnmic signals, s that the whle ecsystem is ecnmically sustainable. The main elements f the prpsed architecture can be seen in figure 2. Figure 2 In-Netwrk Object Clud Architecture Intercnnecting Smart Objects with Internet Wrkshp 25 th March 2011 Page 4 f 5

5 The prvided functinality cnsists f the fllwing aspects: Registry and Discvery f the relevant entities, e.g. based n identifier, lcatin, type, prvider, tpic, r a cmbinatin f these. Lkup f resurces that can prvide infrmatin abut the entities r allw interactins with them. Mnitring f bjects and keeping the dynamic links between them up-t-date. Virtualisatin f bjects, netwrking and cmputatinal resurces and linking virtual resurces with real resurces. Service enablers and self - functinality (self-management, self-mnitring, self-cnfiguratin, selfptimisatin, self-healing, self-prtectin and self-adaptatin). Orchestratin capabilities fr cntrlling and managing the cmpsitin and decmpsitin f multiple dmains The α-, β-, γ- and δ- interfaces. The purpses f such interfaces are: α-interfaces: t prvide a rich set f APIs t enable highly custmized applicatins and sftware as service entities. β-interfaces: t prvide APIs t rchestrate and gvern virtual systems and virtual resurces that meet stated business gals having specific service requirements. They are respnsible fr rchestrating grups f virtual resurces in respnse t changing user needs, business requirements, and envirnmental cnditins. γ-interfaces: these mainly prvide APIs that deal with virtual system setup and management issues. The APIs cnsist f methds fr manipulating lcal netwrk/service/strage/bject resurces abstracted as bjects (i.e. as virtualized resurces) r directly int the real resurces (i.e. with n virtualisatin). The abstractin islates upper layers frm hardware dependencies r ther prprietary interfaces. The γ-interfaces islate the diversity f setup and management requests frm the actual cntrl lp that executes them. They are respnsible fr determining what prtin f a cmpnent (i.e. a set f virtual resurces) is allcated t a given task. This means that all r part f a virtual resurce can be used fr each task, prviding an ptimised partitining f physical resurces accrding t business needs, pririty, and ther requirements. Cmpsite virtual services can thus be cnstructed using all r part f the virtual resurces prvided by each physical resurce. δ-interfaces: these APIs prvide access t lwer level resurces. It is a cllectin f prtcls that enable the exchange f state and cntrl infrmatin at a very lw level between different types f resurces and the external agents f the resurces. These can aggregate resurces int assured pls f virtual resurces. The resurce types cnsidered are: transprt resurces, frwarding resurces, cmputatin resurces, strage resurces, and cntent resurces. 3. Cnclusins This psitin paper utlines an architecture fr an In-Netwrk Object clud that cmbines the wrld f bth IT and the Internet. We have presented the main functins and characteristics that such an architecture will require, tgether with an verview f the functinal elements and interfaces that are needed. By extending the scpe f sensrs and smart things int Internet service elements, we can utilize these devices far mre effectively and with greater scpe. As mre f these devices appear n the Internet, it will be essential t have them participate as part f Internet applicatins. Intercnnecting Smart Objects with Internet Wrkshp 25 th March 2011 Page 5 f 5