Mixed Integer Non-Linear Programming models for Green Network Design

The paper focuses on Network Power Management in telecommunication infrastructures. Specifically, the paper describes four energy aware network design problems, with the related mathematical models, for reducing the power consumption of the current and future Internet. Each problem is based on a different characterization and power awareness of the network devices, leading to either Mixed Integer Linear Programming or Mixed Integer Non-Linear Programming models. We have assessed the effectiveness of the proposed approaches under different real core network topology scenarios by evaluating the impact of several network parameters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that deeply investigates the behavior of a pool of diverse Network Power Management approaches, including the first Mixed Integer Non-Linear Programming model for the Power Aware Network Design with Bundled Links.     

Design and analysis of genetic fuzzy systems for intrusion detection in computer networks

The capability of fuzzy systems to solve different kinds of problems has been demonstrated in several previous investigations. Genetic fuzzy systems (GFSs) hybridize the approximate reasoning method of fuzzy systems with the learning capability of evolutionary algorithms. The objective of this paper is to design and analysis of various kinds of genetic fuzzy systems to deal with intrusion detection problem as a new real-world application area which is not previously tackled with GFSs. The resulted intrusion detection system would be capable of detecting normal and abnormal behaviors in computer networks. We have presented three kinds of genetic fuzzy systems based on Michigan, Pittsburgh and iterative rule learning (IRL) approaches to deal with intrusion detection as a high-dimensional classification problem. Experiments were performed with DARPA data sets which have information on computer networks, during normal and intrusive behaviors. The paper presents some results and compares the performance of different generated fuzzy rule sets in detecting intrusion in a computer network according to three different types of genetic fuzzy systems.     

How to decentralize decisions through GRAI model in production management

Our Laboratory has been working in the field of Production Management for over a decade. Our research has been made in a pragmatic way, alternating analyses on the ground, research for solutions to formulated problems and experiments of possible solutions back on the ground.We have particularly looked into the structure of Production Management Systems (PMS) because we have noticed the lack in existing of a global model and the difficulty in drawing up some specifications for these systems.During our research of a global structure, we have been quickly faced with a lack of PMS efficiency in driving the physical system. The complexity of this structure led us to split it up into more and more simple elements drawing our approach from MELESE concepts [1].But ASHBY concepts dealing with variety have led us to split up again and to decentralize decision centers in order to make possible the driving of PMS [2].In this paper we will present the model which has allowed us to design a specific PMS organized into a hierarchy with a decentralized decision center.     

The profession and the world

Professionals have a responsibility to use their skills and experience where relevant to judge the nature and reality of problems facing their community and to promote and support solutions to those problems. This responsibility distinguishes professionals from people who ply a trade. The paper considers how a computing professional's skills and experience are particularly relevant to the community. We can apply traditional systems analysis to the global problems we encounter, and digital technology has undoubted potential for supporting good solutions to many of these problems. How a systems analyst will look professionally at the world's purpose will depend on who she sees as having the problem. As the employee of a client, the systems analyst will take a materialist approach. But as a professional primarily responsible to the community, that same systems analyst will take a demotic approach.     

Computer Graphics and Man-Machine Interactions

During the past 10 years, there has been a considerable growth of interest in the problems of applying computer graphics techniques to practical use. This interest has created an increasing need for the applications of theoretical computer graphics methods to software and hardware systems that are cost-effective as well as user-oriented. A number of books have been published on the subject of computer graphics, and some rather cost-effective graphics devices have been designed and built for practical use. The latter has mainly been the result of microminiaturization technology of the last five years. Microprocessors, microcomputers, and microprogrammability have helped considerably in making cost-effective display devices a reality, the intelligence of such devices being limited only by the capability of the microprocessors. Applications of computer graphics have steadily increased in such areas as engineering, design, education, medicine/biomedicine, chemistry, business, analysis, computer-aided design, management, structural design, simulation, and communication.     

A STRATEGY FOR RESEARCH ON MODEL FORMULATION

The starting point for this commentary is Sacks' and Doyle's conclusion that a central problem for qualitative physics is automating mathematical model formulation. We believe that model formulation is also a central problem for operations research, and although we have focused on models for production planning rather than for engineering systems analysis, our experience confirms that of Sacks and Doyle, that at least parts of model formulation are amenable to automation. In terms of their recommendations for future research, their strategy seems to emphasize the formalization of mathematical knowledge. We wish to stress that understanding the design or analysis context, the problem domain, and resource constraints on the modeling process is equally important. Methods used in cognitive psychology for understanding human problem solving, such as protocol analysis, can complement mathematical study by helping us understanding the processing that human modelers use to bring mathematical knowledge to bear. We have been using the results of such analyses to guide the creation of a model formulation system (MFS) within the Soar architecture. The use of cognitive studies and computer models in tandem seems to represent a viable strategy for making progress in this area.     

User-friendly password methods for computer-mediated information systems

Violations of published strictures on password use have led to widespread unauthorized access to computer systems. The problem may compound as inexpert users, handicapped by inadequate guidance and ignorance of computers, are increasingly involved on networked, supposedly “user-friendly” workstations. The literature on password methods reflects a technocentric focus emphasizing security without due regard for user comfort, i.e., a “user-hostile”, system perspective. We present a “user-friendly” model for the password selection and re-creation processes rooted in cognitive psychology. The model suggests two approaches to password selection — one rooted in a nomothetic, or particularized, the other in an idiographic, or generalized, treatment of experience — that exploit principles of recall, memory aids and simple formal transformations. A third approach, exploiting environmental cues — hence recognition rather than recall — is also considered. Intermediate approaches enable tradeoffs between password security and memorability appropriate to the context and cognitive style of the user. The reduction of the approaches to practice is illustrated in numerous examples. The approaches yield passwords more vulnerable to discovery than those envisioned in system-oriented theory, yet operationally superior to many prompted by strictures reflecting a technocentric system perspective. We recommend that guidance materials on password use be made available on systems.     

Rigorous automated network security management

Achieving a security goal in a networked system requires the cooperation of a variety of devices, each device potentially requiring a different configuration. Many information security problems may be solved with appropriate models of these devices and their interactions, giving a systematic way to handle the complexity of real situations.We present an approach, rigorous automated network security management, that front-loads formal modeling and analysis before problem solving, thereby providing easy-to-run tools with rigorously justified results. With this approach, we model the network and a class of practically important security goals. The models derived suggest algorithms that, given system configuration information, determine the security goals satisfied by the system. The modeling provides rigorous justification for the algorithms, which may then be implemented as ordinary computer programs requiring no formal methods training to operate.We have applied this approach to several problems. In this paper we describe two: distributed packet filtering and the use of IP security (IPsec) gateways. We also describe how to piece together the two separate solutions to these problems, jointly enforcing packet filtering as well as IPsec authentication and confidentiality on a single network.     

Logistics information system auditing using expert system technology

This paper brings together two methodological strands of thinking. These are the managerial problem solving methodology of Logistics Information System auditing and the structured development of expert system technology. The investment being made in logistics in organizations is enormous and, although much effort has been devoted to creating structured methods to aid the development of information systems to support these organizations' logistics, the area of Logistics Information System auditing remains less developed.

The major aim of this paper is to provide a systemic approach of the application of expert system technology to Logistics Information System auditing. Taking a strategic view of Management Information System (MIS) in logistics, this paper describes the application of INFAUDITOR, an audit expert system, to logistics information systems auditing.

INFAUDITOR has two fundamental features. First, it covers all domains of information systems, managerial (like logistics) as well as technical aspects. Secondly, it helps to determine, in a given audit situation, the respective importance that should be given to the different audit domains and tests of control. INFAUDITOR can be viewed as consisting of several expert systems as in blackboard systems. Its fact bases include the characteristics of the enterprise, its logistics information system and the audit objectives. Its rule bases encompass the audit criteria represented as a hierarchical tree.

INFAUDITOR is used to assess the ability of a Logistics Information System (LIS) to provide decision makers with relevant, timely information for designing, planning and maintaining an efficient production system, for securing materials necessary for production, and for facilitating achievement of low operating and maintenance costs. We present and discuss results obtained by using INFAUDITOR in auditing the logistics Management Information System of a large European company.     

A behavioral reflective architecture for managing the integration of personal ubicomp systems: automatic SNMP-based discovery and management of behavior context in smart-spaces

Context-aware ubiquitous computing systems should be able to introspect the surrounding environment and adapt their behavior according to other existing systems and context changes. Although numerous ubiquitous computing systems have been developed that are aware of different types of context such as location, social situation, and available computational resources, few are aware of their computational behavior. Computational behavior introspection is common in reflective systems and can be used to improve the awareness and autonomy of ubicomp systems. In this paper, we propose a decentralized approach based on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), and on state transition models to model and expose computational behavior. Typically, SNMP and UPnP are targeted to retrieve raw operational variables from managed network devices and consumer electronic devices, e.g., checking network interface bandwidth and automating device discovery and plug and play operations. We extend the use of these protocols by exposing the state of different ubicomp systems and associated state transitions statistics. This computational behavior may be collected locally or remotely from ubicomp systems that share a physical environment, and sent to a coordinator node or simply shared among ubicomp systems. We describe the implementation of this behavior awareness approach in a home health-care environment equipped with a VoIP Phone and a drug dispenser. We provide the means for exposing and using the behavior context in managing a simple home health-care setting. Our approach relies on a system state specification being provided by manufacturers. In the case where the specification is not provided, we show how it can be automatically discovered. We propose two machine learning approaches for automatic behavior discovery and evaluate them by determining the expected state graphs of our two systems (a VoIP Phone and a drug dispenser). These two approaches are also evaluated regarding the effectiveness of generated behavior graphs.     

Approaches to natural language discourse processing

One of the most difficult problems within the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is that of processing language by computer, or natural-language processing. A major problem in natural-language processing is to build theories and models of how individual utterances cling together into a coherent discourse. The problem is important because, to properly understand natural language, a computer should have some sense of what it means for a discourse to be coherent and rational. Theories, models and implementations of natural-language processing argue for a measure of coherence based on three themes: meaning, structure, and intention. Most approaches stress one theme over all the others. Their future lies in the integration of components of all approaches. A theory of intention analysis solves, in part, the problem of natural-language dialogue processing. A central principle of the theory is that coherence of natural-language dialogue can be modelled by analysing sequences of intention. The theory of intention analysis has been incorporated within a computational model, called Operating System CONsultant (OSCON), implemented in Quintus Prolog, which understands, and answers in English, English questions about computer operating systems. Theories and implementations of discourse processing will not only enable people to communicate better with computers, but also enable computers to better communicate with people.     

Fraudulent auctions on the Internet

Trust is an important ingredient for fostering the development of electronic commerce on the Internet. Recent statistics report on the growth of fraudulent activities on the Internet. We report the results of an investigation that checked for the amount of fraudulent activities on auction sites. The results indicate a significant level of fraudulent activities, well above the levels reported by auction site operators. Since fraud can be a major stumbling block for increasing the volume of electronic commerce on the web, it motivated further research on trust building activities given the prevalence of fraudulent activities on the Internet. We describe methods used by swindlers in their online swindling activities and propose methods to reduce the impact of fraudulent activities. Bezalel Gavish holds the Eugene J. and Ruth F. Constantin Distinguished Chair in Business at the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Professor Gavish is the founding Chairman of the International Conference on Telecommunications Systems Management and the International Conference on Networking and Electronic Commerce. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Telecommunication Systems Journal, and of the Electronic Commerce Research Journal. Professor Gavish was and is a consultant to numerous corporations and government agencies such as: IBM, AT&T, BNR, GTE, British Telecomm, MCI, Motorola, Xerox, Gorca Telecomm, the World Bank and others. His research interests include the design and analysis of computer communication networks, design and analysis of distributed computing systems, Fraud on the Internet, modeling of search processes on the Web, group decision support systems and their implementation, combinatorial optimization, and scheduling and routing in manufacturing and logistic systems. His research in telecommunications and computer networks concentrates on the topological design of wide area networks, Fiber deployment and design and analysis of local access networks, capacity assignment and routing in backbone networks, configuring cellular phone systems, analysis of low earth orbit satellite systems, economic and organizational impact of telecommunications and electronic commerce. Christopher L. Tucci is Associate Professor of Management of Technology at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, where he holds the Chair in Corporate Strategy & Innovation. He received the Ph.D. in Management from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His prior work experience was as an industrial computer scientist at Ford Aerospace, where he was involved in developing Internet protocols in the 1980s. Dr. Tucci’s primary area of interest is in technological change and how waves of technological changes affect incumbent firms. He is also studying how the technological changes brought about by the popularization of the Internet affect firms in different industries. He is the co-author of Internet Business Models and Strategies, and has published articles in, among others, Strategic Management Journal, Management Science, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Research Policy, and Journal of Product Innovation Management. In 2004, he was elected to the five-year division leadership track of the Academy of Management’s Technology and Innovation Management Division.     

Computation and the Three Worlds

Discussions about the achievements and limitations of the various approaches to the development of intelligent systems can have an essential impact on empirically based research, and with that also on the future development of computer technologies. However, such discussions are often based on vague concepts and assumptions. In this context, we claim that the proposed `three-world ontology' offers the most appropriate conceptual framework in which the basic problems concerned with cognition and computation can be suitably expressed and discussed, although the solutions of some of these problems seem to lie beyond the horizon of our current understanding. We stress the necessity to differentiate between authentic and functional cognitive abilities; although computation is not a plausible way towards authentic intelligence, we claim that computational systems do offer virtually unlimited possibilities to replicate and surpass human cognitive abilities on the functional level.     

Approximation algorithms and heuristics for task scheduling in data‐intensive distributed systems

In this work, we are interested in the problem of task scheduling on large‐scale data‐intensive computing systems. In order to achieve good performance, one must construct not only good task schedules but also good data allocation across nodes on the system, since before a task can be executed, it must have access to data distributed on the system. In this article, we present a general formulation of a static problem that combines both scheduling and replication problems in data‐intensive distributed systems. We show that this problem does not admit an approximation algorithm. However, considering a restricted version of the problem that considers some practical constraints, an approximation algorithm can be designed. From a practical perspective, we introduce a novel heuristic for the problem that is based on nodes clustering. We compare the heuristic with two adapted approaches from other works in the literature by computational simulations using an extensive set of instances based on real computer grids. We show that our heuristic often obtains the best solutions and also runs faster than other approaches.     

A case study of user immersion-based systematic design for serious heritage games

Modern digital technologies support the preservation and transfer of cultural heritage information via devices and applications such as digital storage systems, electronic books and virtual museums. Advances in virtual and augmented reality, real-time computer graphics and computer games have made it possible to construct large virtual environments in which users may experience cultural heritage through a variety of interactions and immersions. Thus, an emerging problem is to implement an appropriate systematic design method for achieving various types of entertainment, learning and information transfer. This paper proposes two important design factors that impact on user immersion in serious heritage games: user interface space volume and subsystem sequence. The impact of the two factors on proposed systematic design methods was investigated through comparative studies by implementing a serious heritage game system on three different platforms.     

BUILDING A “RICH PICTURE” AND ASSESSING A “QUALITY MANAGEMENT” PROGRAM AT THORNTON PRINTING COMPANY

This working paper illustrates the use of a variety of systems ideas to explore the problem situation presented by Thornton Printing Company, and to examine its “Quality Management” Program—the major instrument chosen by the Company to address its problems. The method employed to set the proposed solution against the “mess” it was designed to alleviate could be refined to have a very general application, The paper also contains many points of more specific interest. Checkland's guidelines for building a “rich picture” are supplemented by ideas drawn from the organization theory literature and by use of the “cognitive mapping” technique. The legitimacy of such a combination of concepts is therefore raised (but not examined.). The “Quality Management” Program adopted by the Company, and the method of implementation, is revealed to be a much attenuated version of the philosophy set forth in the literature on Quality Management and “Excellence” from which it was drawn. Finally, the assumptions underlying the Company's version of “Quality Management” are neatly exposed and questioned using the strategic assumption surfacing approach.

The work reported could have been dressed up lo make it appear a fairly profound intervention (in some respects it was profound). It was deckled to publish it in a less than polished form because this captures much more of the flavor of the project experience—continually thinking on the run to keep up with the rapidly changing problem situation presented by the company.

The actual project report must remain confidential until January 1990. but will then be available for consultation.     

The new software documentation standard: Report on the joint logistic commanders joint policy coordinating group on computer resource management, computer software management subgroup, software workshop

Under the aegis of the Joint Logistics Commanders, the Computer Software Management Subgroup organized two workshops of combined industry and military personnel to review, revise, and recommend new standards for the acquisition and documentation of embedded computer systems. This paper describes the superset of documents which will be required under the new MIL-STD-SDS. The relationship of each document to the acquisition cycle, particularly the design reviews, and to each other, is emphasized.     

Improving R&D processes by an ISO 9001-based Quality Management System

This paper presents practical experience in planning, implementing, and adopting a Quality Management System (QMS) for embedded systems development at VTT Electronics. The main objective for the development of the QMS was to make it practical for real-life embedded systems research and development (R&D) projects. We have applied the ISO 9001 standard and ISO 9000–3 guidelines in building the quality system. From our personnel's point of view, the most important parts of the system have been document skeletons and plan templates that were made accessible to everyone. One of the major quality improvement resulting from the use of the QMS has been the enhanced predictability of R&D projects. This makes it possible for the organization to concentrate on essential matters. From our clients' point of view, we have clearly improved the quality of our R&D services in terms of the customer satisfaction index. Based on QMS auditing activities, we have been able to evaluate and tune our R&D procedures in a systematic manner. We have decided to use Total Quality Management and Quality Award frameworks in the further development of the QMS. Customer service and human resources management are examples of important areas for further quality improvement.     

The Implications of Electronic Serial Memories*

Advances in such new memory technologies as charge-coupled devices, magnetic bubble memories, and beam access memories have opened avenues for innovative applications of these computer elements in future computing systems. These quasi-serial electronic technologies compete on one hand with the random access memories (bipolar, MOS, and core) and, on the other hand, with disk memories (fixed-head disk and moving-head disk). There are important functional properties common to all these technologies, and their applications as computer memories will depend upon how successfully the systems designers appreciate–and then apply–these characteristics to computer system design.     

The sensitive interface

One of the most important problems in human-computer interaction is that of maximising communication between the user and the computer. We claim that optimum communication will be facilitated when the computer can analyse and respond to the intentions of the computer user. We propose a philosophy for computer interface design in which the computer analyses the intentions of users through verbal and nonverbal media. With respect to verbal media we describe a computer program called Operating System CONsultant (OSCON) which can analyse users' intentions from English in the domain of computer operating systems. With respect to nonverbal media we argue that computers will be better able to analyse people's intentions when recognising the media of facial expression, touch, and sound. Some results and implications from a recent experiment on cross-cultural emotions in faces are discussed. We describe the IDIOMS (Intelligent Decision-making In On-line Management Systems) project which implements a design philosophy for capturing users' concepts and intentions. We argue that this approach will ensure the computers will become more understanding of their users and this will result in a more sensitive human-computer interface.