Designing data center network by analytic hierarchy process

The demand for delivery services for large-sized content such as video has increased dramatically, and the use of cloud computing services in which users can use IT services via networks has also increased. To provide these services with high quality and high reliability, ISPs need to carefully design network topology and the positions of data centers. However, network topology and data center location strongly affect various evaluation criteria, such as cost, path length, and reliability; therefore, these criteria with different respective units need to be considered simultaneously when designing a data center network. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a way to make a rational decision considering multiple criteria. This paper proposes to design data center networks by evaluating both network topology and data center locations simultaneously using AHP and also shows the numerical results of applying the proposed design method to the three areas of Japan, USA, and Europe. We investigate the properties of desirable data center networks in these three areas, and compare the results with those obtained by the enumeration method.     

Designing a sustainable supply chain using an integrated analytic network process and goal programming approach in quality function deployment

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) provides economic, social end environmental requirements in material and service flows occurring between suppliers, manufacturers and customers. SSCM structure is considered as a prerequisite for a sustainable success. Thus designing an effective SCM structure provides competitive advantages for the companies. In order to achieve an effective design of this structure, it is possible to apply quality function deployment (QFD) approach which is successfully applied as an effective product and system development tool. This study presents a decision framework where analytic network process (ANP) integrated QFD and zero-one goal programming (ZOGP) models are used in order to determine the design requirements which are more effective in achieving a sustainable supply chain (SSC). The first phase of the QFD is the house of quality (HOQ) which transforms customer requirements into product design requirements. In this study, after determining the sustainability requirements named customer requirements (CRs) and design requirements (DRs) of a SSC, ANP is employed to determine the importance levels in the HOQ considering the interrelationships among the DRs and CRs. Furthermore ZOGP approach is used to take into account different objectives of the problem. The proposed method is applied through a case study and obtained results are discussed.     

Designing for radical tailorability: coupling artifact and rationale

Creativity and cognition are discussed in the context of tailoring computer applications. Computer applications, such as word processors and graphics editors, suffer from a lack of informal design rationale to accompany and throw light upon the meaning behind the implementation of the application. The working hypothesis is that coupling uninterpreted rationale (such as pictures, diagrams, stories, scenarios, and argumentation) with formal software artifacts will give professional computer users enough background understanding for them to be able to make creative and meaningful extensions to the foreground artifacts with only a partial understanding of the implementation language.     

A holonic approach based integration methodology for transportation and warehousing functions of the supply network

The supply chain (SC) is often defined as a network that is composed of different functions, including suppliers, manufacturing plants, warehouses/distribution centers, retailers and customers. A supply network (SN) is a sequence of different and multiple numbers of functions and individual functional units that must satisfy all capacities and demand requirements imposed by customers with minimum cost to the network. The most important functions of a SN are warehousing and transportation functions. This paper addresses the warehousing and transportation network design problem that involves determining the best strategy for distributing the sub-products from the suppliers to the warehouse and from the warehouse to the manufacturers. Considering some similarities between holonic systems and SN systems, a holonic approach based modeling methodology is proposed in this study. A multiple supplier, single warehouse and multiple manufacturer system are considered to be an integrated warehousing and transportation network. Consequently, a linear programming model is presented to maximize the profit of both of the overall SN and the individual functional units of the SN functions.     

The integration of network data base management and problem resolution

The value and nature of a mixed approach to knowledge representation is examined. The mixed approach utilizes data base techniques and expressions in first-order predicate calculus. The nature of a general problem processor that can use information organized according to the mixed approach is discussed and illustrated. The user's language interface with this problem processor is non-procedural and English-like. The utilization of predicate calculus axioms for data integrity and program module management is also explored.     

Designing a visualization framework for multidimensional data

Interest in visualization has grown in recent years, producing rapid advances in the diversity of research and in the scope of proposed techniques. Much of the initial focus in computer-based visualization concentrated on display algorithms, often for specific domains. For example, volume, flow, and terrain visualization techniques have generated significant insights into fundamental graphics and visualization theory, aiding the application experts who use these techniques to advance their own research. More recent work has extended visualization to abstract data sets like network intrusion detection, recommender systems, and database query results. This article describes our initial end-to-end system that starts with data management and continues through assisted visualization design, display, navigation, and user interaction. The purposes of this discussion are to (i) promote a more comprehensive visualization framework; (ii) describe how to apply expertise from human psychophysics, databases, rational logic, and artificial intelligence to visualization; and (iii) illustrate the benefits of a more complete framework using examples from our own experiences.     

Solving a multi-objective master planning problem with substitution and a recycling process for a capacitated multi-commodity supply chain network

This study focuses on solving the multi-objective master planning problem for supply chains by considering product structures with multiple final products using substitutions, common components, and recycled components. This study considers five objectives in the planning process: (1) minimizing the delay cost, (2) minimizing the substitution priority, (3) minimizing the recycling penalty, (4) minimizing the substitution cost, and (5) minimizing the cost of production, processing, inventory holding and transportation. This study proposes a heuristic algorithm, called the GA-based Master Planning Algorithm (GAMPA), to solve the supply-chain master planning problem efficiently and effectively. GAMPA first transforms the closed-loop supply chain into an open-loop supply chain that plans and searches the sub-networks for each final product. GAMPA then uses a genetic algorithm to sort and sequence the demands. GAMPA selects the chromosome that generates the best planning result according to the priority of the objectives. GAMPA plans each demand sequentially according to the selected chromosome and a randomly-selected production tree. GAMPA tries different production trees for each demand and selects the best planning result at the end. To show the effectiveness and efficiency of GAMPA, a prototype was constructed and tested using complexity analysis and computational analysis to demonstrate the power of GAMPA.     

Designing a road network for hazardous materials shipments

We consider the problem of designating hazardous materials routes in and through a major population center. Initially, we restrict our attention to a minimally connected network (a tree) where we can predict accurately the flows on the network. We formulate the tree design problem as an integer programming problem with an objective of minimizing the total transport risk. Such design problems of moderate size can be solved using commercial solvers. We then develop a simple construction heuristic to expand the solution of the tree design problem by adding road segments. Such additions provide carriers with routing choices, which usually increase risks but reduce costs. The heuristic adds paths incrementally, which allows local authorities to trade off risk and cost. We use the road network of the city of Ravenna, Italy, to demonstrate the solution of our integer programming model and our path-addition heuristic.     

Designing an integrated multi-echelon agile supply chain network: a hybrid taguchi-particle swarm optimization approach

The present paper attempts to explore the integration of production, distribution and logistics activities at the strategic decision making level where, the objective is to design a multi-echelon supply chain network considering agility as a key design criterion. The design network conceived here addresses a class of five echelons of supply chains including suppliers, plants, distribution centers, cross-docks and customer zones. The problem has been mathematically formulated as a multi-objective optimization model that aims to minimize the cost (fixed and variable) and maximizes the plant flexibility and volume flexibility. The notion of cross-dock has been introduced as an intermediate level between distribution centers and customer zones to increase the profitability of manufacturing and service industries. In order to solve the underlying problem, a novel algorithm entitled hybrid taguchi-particle swarm optimization (HTPSO) has been proposed that incorporates the characteristics of statistical design of experiments and random search techniques. The main idea is to integrate the fundamentals of taguchi method i.e. orthogonal array and signal to noise ratio (SNR) in the PSO meta-heuristic to minimize the effect of the causes of variations. The proposed model has been authenticated by undertaking problem instances of varying size. Extensive computational experiments are conducted to validate the same and also the efficacy of the proposed HTPSO algorithm. The results obtained reveal that proposed solution methodology is an effective approach to solve the underlying problem.     

供水管网运行数据采集系统设计

为保证供水管网的安全运行,供水部门需要对管网运行中的压力、流量、温度等参数进行实时监测。针对供水管网分布位置比较分散的特点,设计了一种基于无线通信技术的智能多路巡检仪信号检测方案。该系统不仅可实现供水管网运行状态监测,而且还能够及时将管网运行数据发送到监控中心,为供水管线的调度运行提供科学的依据。     

Analytic network process and multi-period goal programming integration in purchasing decisions

This paper presents a multi-period inventory lot sizing scenario, where there is single product and multiple suppliers. By considering multi-period planning horizon, an integrated approach of Archimedean Goal Programming (AGP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) is suggested. This integrated approach proposes a two-stage mathematical model to evaluate the suppliers and to determine their periodic shipment allocations given a number of tangible and intangible criteria. In the evaluation stage, the suppliers are evaluated according to 14 criteria that are involved in four control hierarchies; benefit, opportunity, cost and risk (BOCR). In the shipment stage, a multi objective mixed integer linear programming (MOMILP) model is described to solve the order allocation problem. This MOMILP model is suggested to achieve target values of periodic goals: budget, aggregate quality, total value of purchasing (TVP) and demand over the planning horizon, without exceeding vendor production capacities. This multi-period model is solved by using AGP. Finally some computational experiments are conducted to test the performance of the proposed method.     

Designing screens for people to use easily

The use of interactive computer systems is expanding rapidly. In many applications users can communicate directly with computer-based systems through an interactive dialogue at a display terminal. However, this direct form of communication has created problems. Whereas early users of on-line systems were skilled computer professionals, today's users may have little or no training in computer technology. How then does this group communicate effectively with a computer systems?

The answer is that many users communicate only with considerable difficulty. The result is that the effectiveness of many systems is very much less than expected. The reason for this is simple: these systems are not very good at communicating with their users.

The most common communications bridge between a person and a computer system is a display screen. A well-designed screen format can enhance user productivity, eliminate or reduce user input errors, and promote end user satisfaction. A poorly designed screen has the opposite effect: it will decrease human processing speed, provoke user mistakes, and complicate computer operations.

Screen design requires the same care as designing the overall application. It employs the same techniques as planning and preparing good user documents. Screens, like documents, must be easy to understand and easy to use. To achieve these objectives, screen designers must make good choices regarding three ease-of-use parameters: format; screen content and layout; and style. This paper describes how standards may be established for each of these parameters in a proposed application or system. Futher, an interactive tutorial computer program has been developed (using Bricklin's DEMO program) which may be used to illustrate the application of these standards.     

System for supply network management

Strategies and algorithms for operational planning and control are quite important to successful operations of a supply network. Implementation of a strategy requires substantial information system support, but few detailed designs of such systems have appeared in the literature. We designed an information system for a centralized management concept that could handle any type of strategy or algorithm. We developed algorithms for two different strategies deemed important by researchers and practitioners, push and pull, and implemented them in system modules. This information system performed well in simulations of the management of operations of an example six-stage supply network. This system provides an example for operational development as well as a platform for laboratory experiments.     

Designing for social data analysis

The NameVoyager, a Web-based visualization of historical trends in baby naming, has proven remarkably popular. We describe design decisions behind the application and lessons learned in creating an application that makes do-it-yourself data mining popular. The prime lesson, it is hypothesized, is that an information visualization tool may be fruitfully viewed not as a tool but as part of an online social environment. In other words, to design a successful exploratory data analysis tool, one good strategy is to create a system that enables "social" data analysis. We end by discussing the design of an extension of the NameVoyager to a more complex data set, in which the principles of social data analysis played a guiding role.     

Information security in networked supply chains: impact of network vulnerability and supply chain integration on incentives to invest

Recent supply chain reengineering efforts have focused on integrating firms’ production, inventory and replenishment activities with the help of communication networks. While communication networks and supply chain integration facilitate optimization of traditional supply chain functions, they also exacerbate the information security risk: communication networks propagate security breaches from one firm to another, and supply chain integration causes breach on one firm to affect other firms in the supply chain. We study the impact of network security vulnerability and supply chain integration on firms’ incentives to invest in information security. We find that even though an increase in either the degree of network vulnerability or the degree of supply chain integration increases the security risk, they have different impacts on firms’ incentives to invest in security. If the degree of supply chain integration is low, then an increase in network vulnerability induces firms to reduce, rather than increase, their security investments. A sufficiently high degree of supply chain integration alters the impact of network vulnerability into one in which firms have an incentive to increase their investments when the network vulnerability is higher. Though an increase in the degree of supply integration enhances firms’ incentives to invest in security, private provisioning for security always results in a less than socially optimal security level. A liability mechanism that makes the responsible party partially compensate for the other party’s loss induces each firm to invest at the socially optimal level. If firms choose the degree of integration, in addition to security investment, then firms may choose a higher degree of integration when they decide individually than when they decide jointly, suggesting an even greater security risk to the supply chain.     

QoS guaranteed integration methodology for a WLAN-WiMAX heterogeneous network

Wireless technologies which serve multimedia applications have to guarantee the Quality of Service (QoS) demands along with seamless connectivity. The complexity in attaining such demands increases if the network is heterogeneous in nature. This paper proposes a QoS guaranteed integration methodology for a heterogeneous wireless local area network (WLAN) - worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) network. An integrated protocol stack for the mobile terminal which could work in a WLAN-WiMAX heterogeneous network is proposed. The proposed integrated protocol stack, a blend of two modules namely generic virtual link layer (GVLL) and media independent handover (MIH) is placed above the media access control (MAC) layer which includes both WLAN and WiMAX MAC. The impact of GVLL in guaranteeing the QoS on QoS deterioration and the impact of MIH in attaining seamless handover are analyzed and the results are presented.     

An agent-based approach for e-manufacturing and supply chain integration

A major problem facing manufacturing organisations is how to provide efficient and cost-effective responses to the unpredictable changes taking place in a global market. This problem is made difficult by the complexity of supply chain networks coupled with the complexity of individual manufacturing systems within supply chains. Current systems such as manufacturing execution systems (MES), supply chain management (SCM) systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems do not provide adequate facilities for addressing this problem. This paper presents an approach that would enable manufacturing organisations to dynamically and cost-effectively integrate, optimise, configure, simulate, restructure and control not only their own manufacturing systems but also their supply networks, in a co-ordinated manner to cope with the dynamic changes occurring in a global market. This is realised by a synergy of two emerging manufacturing concepts: Agent-based agile manufacturing systems and e-manufacturing. The concept is to represent a complex manufacturing system and its supply network with an agent-based modelling and simulation architecture and to dynamically generate alternative scenarios with respect to planning, scheduling, configuration and restructure of both the manufacturing system and its supply network based on the coordinated interactions amongst agents.     

Designing a neural network simulator--the MENS modelling environment for network systems: II.

During recent years, neural network research has been extended to a large number of different fields, increasingly attracting the interest of workers from various disciplines. The computer simulations carried out with this research require an appropriate software environment. The computational similarities of many kinds of simulations allow the design of software components that are largely independent of the specific application. These considerations are reflected, for example, by the general layout of the MENS network simulator, as described in the accompanying first paper. This paper presents the design considerations for the simulator's different software components in more detail. In particular, design and implementation are discussed with respect to computational and memory efficiency. The discussion includes, for example, the representation of a network by the simulator's data structure, the file-driven configuration and initialization of a network, the simulator's stimulus and monitor system, and the simulator's control structures. In addition, the separation and interaction of application-specific and application-independent software components are addressed. Particular performance aspects comprise the implementation of synaptic delays, the dynamic deletion of synaptic links in network learning, and the preprocessing of stimulus films. In addition, some general aspects of simulator performance and testing are considered. The material presented in this paper concerns both the development of new simulation software and the efficient use of existing programs. Therefore, both the general user as well as the software designer may hopefully benefit from this presentation.