Ambient-Oriented Programming

User Tools

Site Tools

Trace:
research:doforreal

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revisionBoth sides next revision
research:doforreal [2010/08/04 13:34] – Note stijnmresearch:doforreal [2010/08/04 13:55] – separately stijnm
Line 1: Line 1:
 ====== Distributed Objects for Real ====== ====== Distributed Objects for Real ======
  
-Over the past year, a number of researchers at the Software Languages Lab have been involved in experiments designed to uncover new programming abstractions to facilitate the development of mobile RFID-enabled applications.  During these experiments, we have approached the development of such applications from two opposing perspectives, which are briefly described below.+Over the past year, a number of researchers at the Software Languages Lab have been involved in experiments designed to uncover new programming abstractions to facilitate the development of mobile RFID-enabled applications.  
  
-== Volatile Data Clouds ==+During these experiments, we have approached the development of such applications from two opposing perspectives, which are briefly described below. 
 + 
 +===== Volatile Data Clouds =====
 <note>The volatile data clouds model can be considered a special case of [[research:recap]] specifically applied to the domain of mobile RFID-enabled applications.</note> <note>The volatile data clouds model can be considered a special case of [[research:recap]] specifically applied to the domain of mobile RFID-enabled applications.</note>
  
Line 15: Line 17:
 occurrences, we make use of [[research:patterns|pattern matching rules]] which can be applied to any reactive collection.  This technique allows building RFID applications using a declarative programming style.  occurrences, we make use of [[research:patterns|pattern matching rules]] which can be applied to any reactive collection.  This technique allows building RFID applications using a declarative programming style. 
  
-== Tags Objects ==+===== Tags Objects =====
  
 <note> <note>
-The tag objects model represents RFID tags as full-blown objects, which introduces a natural mechanism to deal with **mutable tag data**.  More information as well as videos of our experiments can be found on a [[research:rfid|dedicated page]].  +The tag objects model represents RFID tags as full-blown objects, which introduces a natural mechanism to deal with **mutable tag data**.  More information as well as videos of our experiments can be found [[research:rfid|here]].  
 </note> </note>
  
-While the //volatile data clouds// model considers RFID tags as containers of data which is to be filtered and interpreted by the application, the //tag objects// model interprets them to be full-blown objects.  Applications can interact with these objects and e.g. invoke methods on them.  In this case, the tag contains a marshalled object representation which is implicitly unmarshalled to provide a live object which applications can interact with.+While the //volatile data clouds// model considers RFID tags to be containers of data which is to be filtered and interpreted by the application, the //tag objects// model conceived them as hosts for full-fledged objects.   
 + 
 +Applications can interact with these objects and e.g. invoke methods on them.  In this case, the tag contains a marshalled object representation which is implicitly unmarshalled to provide a live object which applications can interact with.
  
 When treating tags as objects, it is important to deal with the ephemeral nature of the connection between the mobile application and any particular tag.  A first problem to be tackled is how applications detect new tags as they come into range.  This is addressed by the introduction of a semantic //service discovery// mechanism, which allows applications to be notified when an interesting tag appears.  The use of a service discovery mechanism also provides an implicit mechanism to disregard tags which contain objects that are irrelevant to the application.  For instance, an application can choose to only discover objects of type ''Book'' or ''Ingredient''.  When treating tags as objects, it is important to deal with the ephemeral nature of the connection between the mobile application and any particular tag.  A first problem to be tackled is how applications detect new tags as they come into range.  This is addressed by the introduction of a semantic //service discovery// mechanism, which allows applications to be notified when an interesting tag appears.  The use of a service discovery mechanism also provides an implicit mechanism to disregard tags which contain objects that are irrelevant to the application.  For instance, an application can choose to only discover objects of type ''Book'' or ''Ingredient''. 
Line 31: Line 35:
 Within the tag object model, we have conducted initial experiments on how to use ad hoc //replication strategies// which could allow continued use of a tag object even when the tag is temporarily unreachable.  When the tag becomes reachable again, updates can be synchronized.  With such a custom replication strategy in place, it can in principle be possible to treat tag objects as "local objects"; objects which can be addressed with both asynchronous and synchronous messages.  Within the tag object model, we have conducted initial experiments on how to use ad hoc //replication strategies// which could allow continued use of a tag object even when the tag is temporarily unreachable.  When the tag becomes reachable again, updates can be synchronized.  With such a custom replication strategy in place, it can in principle be possible to treat tag objects as "local objects"; objects which can be addressed with both asynchronous and synchronous messages. 
  
-== Comparison ==+===== Comparison =====
  
 Having implemented both models, it remains unclear whether one of the models presented in this paper is to be preferred over the other.  As it stands, both models have shown to cater to different kinds of applications.  Moreover, when analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the models, they have shown to be largely complementary. Having implemented both models, it remains unclear whether one of the models presented in this paper is to be preferred over the other.  As it stands, both models have shown to cater to different kinds of applications.  Moreover, when analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the models, they have shown to be largely complementary.
Line 41: Line 45:
 In all likelihood, a programming model that fully leverages the advantages of a world teeming with tagged objects will incorporate elements of both models presented here.  In all likelihood, a programming model that fully leverages the advantages of a world teeming with tagged objects will incorporate elements of both models presented here. 
  
-== Further Reading ==+===== Further Reading =====
  
 * Distributed Objects for Real. Stijn Mostinckx, Andoni Lombide Carreton, Kevin Pinte, Wolfgang De Meuter. Technical report, 2010, Vrije Universiteit Brussel [[|pdf]] * Distributed Objects for Real. Stijn Mostinckx, Andoni Lombide Carreton, Kevin Pinte, Wolfgang De Meuter. Technical report, 2010, Vrije Universiteit Brussel [[|pdf]]
research/doforreal.txt · Last modified: 2010/08/04 17:34 by tvcutsem