1. Networking Applications
Dr. Ayman A. Abdel-Hamid
College of Computing and Information Technology
Arab Academy for Science & Technology and Maritime Transport
Pervasive Computing
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

2. © Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications
Outline
Introduction
Evolution of Pervasive Computing
Pervasive Computing Model
Issues and Challenges
Scenarios
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

3. © Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications
Introduction
Mark Weiser (Chief Technology Officer for Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center) in 1991 in his Scientific American article
“The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until that are indistinguishable from it”
“There is more information available at our fingertips during a walk in the woods than in any computer system, yet people find a walk among trees relaxing and computers frustrating. Machines that fit the human environment instead of forcing humans to enter theirs will make using a computer as refreshing as taking a walk in the woods”
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

4. © Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications
Introduction 1/2
Pervasive Computing vision
A device can be a portal into an application-data space, not a repository of custom software that a user must manage
An application is a means by which a user performs a task, not software written to exploit a device’s capabilities.
a computing environment is an information-enhanced physical space, not a virtual environment that exists to store and run software
Need for perceptual information about the environment (sensing devices can provide location of users and devices  context-aware computing)
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

5. © Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications
Introduction 2/2
Pervasive Computing vision
a pervasive computing environment is saturated with computing and communication capability, yet so gracefully integrated with users that it becomes a ‘‘technology that disappears.’’
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

6. Evolution of Pervasive Computing 1/3
Personal computing evolved to distributed computing (seamless access to remote resources and communication with fault-tolerance, high-availability, and security)
World Wide Web made available the creation of nearly ubiquitous information and communication infrastructure (the computer you use to access the Web is now irrelevant)
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

7. Evolution of Pervasive Computing 2/3
Mobile Computing
(SIM “Subscriber Identity Module” card inserted into any handset, makes the cell phone your own)
end system far less important than access to digital word
Issues: Mobile networking, mobile information access, support for adaptive applications, energy-saving techniques, and location sensitivity
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

8. Evolution of Pervasive Computing 3/3
“Anytime anywhere” in mobile computing becomes “all the time everywhere” in pervasive computing
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

9. Pervasive Computing Model 1/4
Devices, networking, middleware, and Applications
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

10. Pervasive Computing Model 2/4
Pervasive Devices
Traditional input devices
Wireless mobile devices
Smart devices: intelligent appliances, floor tiles with embedded sensors and bio sensors (attempt to augment objects with a digital presence while preserving their original appearance, purpose, and use)
Sensors for information gathering (GPS information and computer vision)
Pervasive Networking
Huge numbers of pervasive devices
Extend backbone infrastructure
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

11. Pervasive Computing Model 3/4
Pervasive Middleware
Need to interface between networking kernel and end-user applications running on pervasive devices
Consists of software and firmware bundles executing in client-server or peer-to-peer mode
User interfaces
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

12. Pervasive Computing Model 4/4
Pervasive Applications
“Consider a heart patient wearing an implanted monitor that communicates wirelessly with computers trained to detect and report abnormalities.
The monitor should know when to raise the alarm, based on its knowledge about the environment.
So this is much more than simple wireless communication”
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

13. Issues and Challenges 1/2
Scalability
recreating application for each new device?
Previous work ignored physical distance
Heterogeneity (uneven conditioning)
A system that is capable of disconnected operation is able to mask the absence of wireless coverage in its environment.
Integration (into a single platform)
Invisibility
smart environments and auto-configuration
Minimal user distraction
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

14. Issues and Challenges 2/2
Perception: Context-Awareness
location monitoring, uncertainty modeling, real-time information processing, and merging data from multiple and possibly disagreeing sensors
Smartness: Context-Management
efficiently use perceptions
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

15. Pervasive Computing Scenarios 1/3
A user is at a gate 10 waiting for a flight
Edited a lot of large documents and would like to use wireless connection to them
Bandwidth miserable at gates 10 and 11 (lots of users)
Pervasive system concludes that bandwidth is not enough to finish before flight leaves
Using airport network weather service and flight schedules, pervasive system recommends user to proceed to gate 25 (almost no users, no departing or arriving flights, the user can make it back to gate 10 to catch her flight)
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

16. Pervasive Computing Scenarios 2/3
A user is about to make a presentation and software demonstration to his superiors
The meeting room is a ten-minute walk in another building.
It is time to leave, but the user is not quite ready.
He grabs his wireless handheld computer and walks out of the door.
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

17. Pervasive Computing Scenarios 3/3
The pervasive computing system transfers the state of his work from his desktop to his handheld
Allows him to make his final edits using voice commands during his walk
Using the user’s calendar and the company location tracking service, the system downloads the presentation and the demonstration software to the projection computer, and warms up the projector
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications

18. © Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications
More Information
Pervasive Computing: A Paradigm for the 21st Century, IEEE Computer, vol. 36, no. 3, pp , March 2003
Pervasive Computing: Vision and Challenges, IEEE Personal Communications, 2001
March 2005 issue of Communications of the ACM. Main Theme is The Disappearing Computer: A vision of Computing that is truly unremarkable
Pervasive Computing
© Dr. Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Networking Applications