Security and privacy in business networking

Business networking relies on application-specific quantity and quality of information in order to support social infrastructures in, e.g., energy allocation coordinated by smart grids, healthcare services with electronic health records, traffic management with personal sensors, RFID in retail and logistics, or integration of individuals’ social network information into good, services, and rescue operations. Due to the increasing reliance of networking applications on sharing ICT services, dependencies threaten privacy, security, and reliability of information and, thus, innovative business applications in smart societies. Resilience is becoming a new security approach, since it takes dependencies into account and aims at achieving equilibriums in case of opposite requirements. This special issue on 'Security and Privacy in Business Networking' contributes to the journal 'Electronic Markets' by introducing a different view on achieving acceptable secure business networking applications in spite of threats due to covert channels. This view is on adapting resilience to enforcement of IT security in business networking applications. Our analysis shows that privacy is an evidence to measure and improve trustworthy relationships and reliable interactions between participants of business processes and their IT systems. The articles of this special issue, which have been accepted after a double-blind peer review, contribute to this view on interdisciplinary security engineering in regard to the stages of security and privacy requirements analysis, enforcement of resulting security requirements for an information exchange, testing with a privacy-preserving detection of policy violations, and knowledge management for the purpose of keeping business processes resilient.     

Multimedia P2P networking: Protocols, solutions and future directions

Due to the latest developments in electronics industry, multimedia communications is one of the key enabling technologies in the current and future networks. This special issue is to discuss advances in the state of the art and practice of multimedia P2P networking, as well as to identify the related emerging research topics. The careful evaluation process of this special issue has allowed us to select 8 high quality research papers. We strongly believe that the selected papers will make a significant contribution to researchers, practitioners, and students working in this field.     

基于并行计算中的动态负载平衡

在很多应用中都出现负载平衡的问题,尤其是负载平衡在并行分布式计算系统中起到不同寻常的作用.以工作站机群为代表的网络计算环境是当前并行计算和分布式系统的研究重点之一,解决异构性问题和动态负载平衡是使用机群进行网络并行计算的关键.本文对并行计算中的动态负载平衡问题进行了分析并提出了一些解决办法.     

基于遗传算法的动态负载平衡研究

在很多应用中都出现负载平衡的问题,但是更重要的是,负载平衡在并行分布式计算系统中起到不同寻常的作用。以工作站机群为代表的网络计算环境是当前并行计算和分布式系统的研究重点之一,解决异构性问题和动态负载平衡是使用机群进行网络并行计算的关键。文章介绍如何使用遗传算法解决动态负载平衡的问题,以及在实现系统中所采用的一些关键性策略、方法和技术。     

Prescribed performance control approaches,applications and challenges: A comprehensive survey

As to control systems, transient performance is as important as steady-state performance. For some special dynamic systems, transient performance is a more prior index in comparison with the steady-state one. Prescribed performance control (PPC) has been proved to be a powerful tool that guarantees control system outputs/errors with desired transient performance as well as steady-state performance. The purpose of this paper is to give a comprehensive review on the latest developments of PPC theories and applications. The existing performance functions are classified into five different categories, and their features are comprehensively compared, providing a useful guidance for further applications. Then, the latest developments of PPC's applications in all kinds of control systems are recalled. Specially, the faced challenges and theoretical defects of PPC are discussed, which is expected to point out the further research direction for PPC.     

Enabling fuzzy technologies in high performance networking via an open FPGA-based development platform

Soft computing techniques and particularly fuzzy inference systems are gaining momentum as tools for network traffic modeling, analysis and control. Efficient hardware implementations of these techniques that can achieve real-time operation in high-speed networking equipment as well as other highly time-constrained application fields is however an open problem. We introduce a development platform for fuzzy inference systems with applications to network traffic analysis and control. The platform addresses the current requirements and constraints of high performance networking equipment. For the development process, we set up a methodology and a CAD tool chain that span the entire design process from initial specification in a high-level language to implementation on FPGA devices. An FPGA development board with PCI/PCIe interface is employed to support an open platform that comprises CAD tools as well as IP cores. PCI compatible fuzzy inference modules are implemented as System-on-Programmable-Chip (SoPC). We present satisfactory experimental results from the implementation of fuzzy systems for a number of applications in analysis and control of Internet traffic. These systems are shown to satisfy operational and architectural requirements of current and future high performance routing equipment. The platform proposed allows for the development of prototypes while avoiding large investments and complicated management procedures which constrain the testing and adoption of soft computing techniques in high performance networking.     

Designing support to facilitate learning in powerful electronic learning environments

This special issue reflects current developments in instructional design for powerful electronic learning environments. It presents a compilation of contributions to a combined special interest group (SIG) meeting (2006) of Instructional Design and Learning and Instruction with Computers. Both SIGs are part of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). The SIG-meeting focused on the design of powerful electronic learning environments for complex learning. The articles in this issue describe how to design support to help learners during complex individual or collaborative learning. This introduction provides the context for the issue and a short overview of the contributions.     

Guest Editors' Introduction: Collaborative Visualization

This article introduces a special issue on collaborative visualization. The articles in this issue present ongoing research, covering topics ranging from prototype systems to the fundamental technical challenges of creating successful collaborative systems.     

Modeling and performance analysis using extended fuzzy-timing Petrinets for networked virtual environments

Despite their attractive properties, networked virtual environments (net-VEs) are notoriously difficult to design, implement, and test due to the concurrency, real-time and networking features in these systems. Net-VEs demand high quality-of-service (QoS) requirements on the network to maintain natural and real-time interactions among users. The current practice for net-VE design is basically trial and error, empirical, and totally lacks formal methods. This paper proposes to apply a Petri net formal modeling technique to a net-VE-NICE (narrative immersive constructionist/collaborative environment), predict the net-VE performance based on simulation, and improve the net-VE performance. NICE is essentially a network of collaborative virtual reality systems called the CAVE-(CAVE automatic virtual environment). First, we introduce extended fuzzy-timing Petri net (EFTN) modeling and analysis techniques. Then, we present EFTN models of the CAVE, NICE, and transport layer protocol used in NICE: transmission control protocol (TCP). We show the possibility analysis based on the EFTN model for the CAVE. Then, by using these models and design/CPN as the simulation tool, we conducted various simulations to study real-time behavior, network effects and performance (latencies and jitters) of NICE. Our simulation results are consistent with experimental data.     

Virtue: performance visualization of parallel and distributedapplications

High-speed, wide-area networks have made it both possible and desirable to interconnect geographically distributed applications that control distributed collections of scientific data, remote scientific instruments and high-performance computer systems. Historically, performance analysis has focused on monolithic applications executing on large, stand-alone, parallel systems. In such a domain, measurement, postmortem analysis and code optimization suffice to eliminate performance bottlenecks and optimize applications. Distributed visualization, data mining and analysis tools allow scientists to collaboratively analyze and understand complex phenomena. Likewise, real-time performance measurement and immersive performance display systems-i.e. systems providing large stereoscopic displays of complex data-enable collaborating groups to interact with executing software, tuning its behavior to meet research and performance goals. To satisfy these demands, the authors designed Virtue, a prototype system that integrates collaborative, immersive performance visualization with real-time performance measurement and adaptive control of applications on computational grids. These tools enable physically distributed users to explore and steer the behavior of complex software in real time and to analyze and optimize distributed application dynamics     

On Measuring Disturbances in the Force: Advanced Cloud Monitoring Systems

Monitoring large scale infrastructures hosting an even larger number of applications in highly consolidated multi-tenant environments presents a wealth of problems. Dealing with these challenges is essential since monitoring is the cornerstone to make clouds responsive, failure-tolerant, automated and cost-efficient for operators. In this special issue, you will find the foundations together with cutting-edge developments in the state of the art of cloud monitoring systems. This special issue is targeted at a broad readership, ranging from newcomers wanting a smooth acquaintance with these technologies and experts aiming to dive deeper into the latest developments.     

A u-IT collaboration evaluation model for value networks

The paradigm of competition between companies has been changed from the competition between individual businesses to the one between the supply chain management. To gain a comparative advantage in this supply chain management, IT collaboration, which has an important strategic location for cooperation between manufacturers, sectors, systems, applications, and processes and supports them, has begun to emerge as an important key. To date, however, most of the studies have searched factors constructing collaborative networks between companies, and there are few studies on performance analysis for activating collaborative networks between companies. Accordingly, this study would like to conduct performance analysis on collaborative networks between companies for measuring performance of constructing concrete collaborative networks and activating improved collaborative network systems from an industrial viewpoint. In detail, it would like to design a model for determinants to make construct collaborative networks and to analyze the utilization level and performance of collaborative networks between companies. In addition, it conducts correlation analysis on determinants of collaborative networks to improve performance of these collaborative networks.     

The ARGOSI Classification Scheme for Graphics and Networking Applications

ARGOSI is a project concerned with the relationship between standards for graphics and networking, as rejected in its full title: Applications Related Graphics and OSI Standards Integration. It is a collaborative project between eleven European organizations and is funded under the Esprit-Il programme of the Commission of the European Community. In order to achieve integration of graphics and OSI standards and to meet the requirements of applications, it is necessary to understand the needs of applications to transfer graphical information and the networking services required to support this. A major part of the ARGOSI project has been to derive a classification framework for applications based on a set of metrics describing their use of graphics and networking. Once classified, a study is to be made to determine the set of graphics and OSI standards that will satisfy the requirements of each group of applications or to identify deficiencies or omissions in the set of current standards that prevent the requirements being met. The classification scheme is believed to be a major stepforward in the field.     

Managing Problems for Global Software Production – Experience and Lessons

With the increase in size and complexity of current software projects, many large companies have established global software production lines over the world to develop and deliver software products with collaborative software development processes involving multiple teams located at different sites. Supporting global software production needs an effective software-engineering environment to meet the special requirements of the collaborative software development process, diverse management methods and engineering practice. WWW technology provides powerful means to set up an enterprise-oriented software engineering environment for global software production due to its advantages in networking, global access, internationalization, and communication. Although there are many articles addressing the methods and experience in building web-based applications systems and tools, very few papers discuss the real-world problems and solutions in the development and deployment of web-based software tools to support a collaborative software development process for global software production. This paper discusses the real world issues, and reports our experience and lessons in building and deploying a web-based problem information management system (PIMS) to support global software development processes at Fujitsu. It focuses on the real issues and needs of current collaborative development process involving multiple teams, and highlights the benefits and impact of the PIMS on global software production. Moreover, it discusses our technical solutions and trade-offs in the development of PIMS, and shares our experience and lessons. Furthermore, it introduces a new data-centered conceptual process model to support diverse collaborative processes for project and problem management in global software production. Finally, the paper shares our key successes and weaknesses, and reports our experience and lessons in the deployment of the system.     

Smart devices and spaces for pervasive computing

Applications and services for pervasive computing have been dramatically grown and have contributed extensively to our daily experiences in recent years. Smart systems, devices, and spaces are proactive for ubiquitous and pervasive computing. Smart information technology (IT) is also an outcome of the state of the art and novel mobile and ubiquitous computing technologies that include highly capable handheld device, pervasive and personal device, etc. This special issue will be a trigger for further related research and technology improvements in pervasive and ubiquitous computing using smart devices and services. This special issue called for original papers describing the latest developments, trends, and solutions of smart devices and spaces for pervasive computing including real-time operating systems (OS), tiny OS and middleware supports, mobile system performance, trustworthy Internet and communications, agents and mobile and pervasive services, among others. In particular, this special issue focuses on a remote control and media-sharing system, flash storage-based smart system, heterogeneous mobile OS, and prediction and auto-execution system for pervasive computing.     

Users’ attitudes toward Web-based collaborative learning systems for knowledge management

The Web-based technology is a potential tool for supported collaborative learning that may enrich learning performance, such as individual knowledge construction or group knowledge sharing. Thus, understanding Web-based collaborative learning for knowledge management is a critical issue. The present study is to investigate learners’ attitudes toward Web-based collaborative learning systems. Based on this research, the results of factor analysis show that five attitude factors (system functions, system satisfaction, collaborative activities, learners’ characteristics, and system acceptance) should be examined at the same time when building a Web-based collaborative learning system. The results also provide an acceptance model for understanding users’ behavioral intention of facilitating Web-based collaborative systems.     

SocialVPN: Enabling wide-area collaboration with integrated social and overlay networks

Trusted collaborative systems require peers to be able to communicate over private, authenticated end-to-end channels. Network-layer approaches such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) exist, but require considerable setup and management which hinder the establishment of ad-hoc collaborative environments: trust needs to be established, cryptographic keys need to be exchanged, and private network tunnels need to be created and maintained among end users. In this paper, we propose a novel system architecture which leverages existing social infrastructures to enable ad-hoc VPNs which are self-configuring, self-managing, yet maintain security amongst trusted and untrusted third parties. The key principles of our approach are: (1) self-configuring virtual network overlays enable seamless bi-directional IP-layer connectivity to socially connected parties; (2) online social networking relationships facilitate the establishment of trust relationships among peers; and (3) both centralized and decentralized databases of social network relationships can be securely integrated into existing public-key cryptography (PKI) implementations to authenticate and encrypt end-to-end traffic flows. The main contribution of this paper is a new peer-to-peer overlay architecture that securely and autonomously creates VPN tunnels connecting social peers, where online identities and social networking relationships may be obtained from centralized infrastructures, or managed in a decentralized fashion by the peers themselves.This paper also reports on the design and performance of a prototype implementation that embodies the SocialVPN architecture. The SocialVPN router builds upon IP-over-P2P (IPOP) virtual networks and a PKI-based tunneling infrastructure, which integrates with both centralized and decentralized social networking systems including Facebook, the Drupal open-source content management system, and emailing systems with PGP support. We demonstrate our prototype’s ability to support existing, unmodified TCP/IP applications while transparently dealing with user connectivity behind Network Address Translators (NATs). We also present qualitative and quantitative analyses of functionality and performance based on wide-area network experiments using PlanetLab and Amazon EC2.     

HARNESS fault tolerant MPI design, usage and performance issues

Initial versions of MPI were designed to work efficiently on multi-processors which had very little job control and thus static process models. Subsequently forcing them to support a dynamic process model suitable for use on clusters or distributed systems would have reduced their performance. As current HPC collaborative applications increase in size and distribution the potential levels of node and network failures increase. This is especially true when MPI implementations are used as the communication media for GRID applications where the GRID architectures themselves are inherently unreliable thus requiring new fault tolerant MPI systems to be developed. Here we present a new implementation of MPI called FT-MPI that allows the semantics and associated modes of failures to be explicitly controlled by an application via a modified MPI API. Given is an overview of the FT-MPI semantics, design, example applications and some performance issues such as efficient group communications and complex data handling. Also briefly described is the HARNESS g_hcore system that handles low-level system operations on behalf of the MPI implementation. This includes details of plug-in services developed and their interaction with the FT-MPI runtime library.     

A study on key strategies in P2P file sharing systems and ISPs�� P2P traffic management

The flourish of P2P systems draws a lot of attention of networking researchers. Some research efforts focus on P2P systems, trying to understand the mechanism of various implementations and the behavior pattern of P2P users, and then improve the systems?? performance. Others look at the issue from the angle of ISPs, trying to help ISPs solve various issues brought by P2P applications. In this article, we conduct a review study on recent research efforts in these two areas. The first part of this article focuses on several key strategies that have significant influence on the performance of P2P systems. In the second part, we review some important techniques for ISPs to manage P2P traffic, i.e., blocking, caching and localization, and compare their advantages and disadvantages.     

Computational awareness towards green environments

This special issue calls for high quality and state-of-the-art research issues and results concerning the development of green environment from the perspective of computing systems. In particular, the special issue is going to showcase the most recent achievements and developments in the realm of awareness computing. Original and research articles are solicited in all aspects of including theoretical studies, practical applications, new communication technology and experimental prototypes. This special issue includes original papers describing the latest developments, trends, and solutions of computational awareness towards green environments including green IT and cloud cluster computing, energy-efficient systems, power-aware software, awareness mechanism and modeling, context, emotion and preference awareness, energy harvesting, sensor, Ad Hoc, P2P networks, and communications, safety or security.