E. Di Sciascio

Web applications design and maintenance using symbolic model checking

We present an approach to automatic checking of the correctness of Web applications structure during their lifecycle. The approach adopts the well-established symbolic model checking technique and the associated tool SMV. A formalism allows the designer to describe the model of a Web-based system. Computation Tree Logic (CTL) is adopted as language to define the properties to be verified. The approach has been implemented in a tool to provide automatic support in the design of Web applications. The system embeds the NuSMV model checker to perform verification. Verification is carried out after building the finite state model of a site in the model checker input language. To this purpose the system parses the HTML source code of Web pages, including code for dynamic pages. Properties are expressed using a user friendly interface for Web application developers that automatically translates properties in CTL formulas.

Semantic-Based Enhancement of ISO/IEC 14543-3 EIB/KNX Standard for Building Automation

Current technologies for Home and Building Automation (HBA) basically require an explicit interaction with the user and allow a static set of operational scenarios defined during system implementation. On the contrary, novel HBA solutions should enable so-called ambient intelligence, deriving from a flexible and automatic control of appliances and subsystems dipped into an environment. To this aim, this paper proposes backward-compatible enhancements to one of the most widespread domotic standards, i.e., EIB/KNX ISO/IEC 14543-3, able to support advanced, knowledge-based and context-aware functionalities, grounded on the semantic annotation of both user profiles and device capabilities. Such an approach enables novel resource discovery, matchmaking, and decision support features in HBA. Main benefits are in: (i) determining the most suitable services/functionalities according to implicit and explicit user needs and (ii) allowing device-driven interaction for autonomous adaptation of the environment to context modification. A case study is presented to better clarify the proposed framework also highlighting main characteristics, while performance evaluation is provided to assess its effectiveness.

Knowledge based approach to semantic composition of teams in an organization

Finding rapidly suitable experts in an organization to compose a team able to solve specific tasks is a typical problem in large consulting firms. In this paper we present a Description Logics approach to the semantic-based composition of ad-hoc teams based on individuals skill profiles and on task description. The selection process is carried out using a novel Concept Covering algorithm that exploits the recently proposed Concept Abduction inference service in Description Logics. The approach has been deployed as part of a skill management system that takes text files with curricula and project specifications as inputs and extracts from them available individual profiles and task descriptions, according to an ontology modeling skills.

Resource Annotation, Dissemination and Discovery in the Semantic Web of Things: A CoAP-Based Framework

The Semantic Web of Things (SWoT) vision aims to provide more advanced resource management and discovery w.r.t. standard Internet of Things architectures, by means of the integration of knowledge representation and reasoning techniques originally devised for the Semantic Web. This paper proposes a novel SWoT framework, based on a backward-compatible extension of the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), supporting non-standard inference services for semantic matchmaking. It allows retrieval and logic-based ranking of annotated resources. A computationally efficient data mining is also integrated in the framework to process raw data gathered from the environment in order to detect high-level events and characterize them with machine-understandable metadata. In order to test the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a case study about environmental risk prevention for Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) is presented.

Fully automated Web services orchestration in a resource retrieval scenario

We propose a framework and polynomial algorithms for semantic-based automated Web service orchestration, fully compliant with semantic Web technologies. The approach exploits the recently proposed concept abduction inference service in description logics to solve concept covering problems. We present how the proposed approach deals with not exact solutions, computing an approximate orchestration with respect to an agent request modeled using a significant subset of OWL-DL.

Automating competence management through non-standard reasoning

Competence management calls for automated knowledge-based services in order to take full advantage from the know-how of a company. This paper presents an integrated semantic-based knowledge management system providing decision support services for several activities typical of competence management, including core competence evaluation, human resources allocation, training programs planning. Knowledge resources are represented according to the formalism of Description Logics, which also allows for inference services crucial for the implemented solutions. We present the various features of our approach, which exploit advanced non-standard reasoning services from Description Logics, specifically developed to support knowledge management.

Retrieval by spatial similarity: an algorithm and a comparative evaluation

We present an algorithm for retrieval by spatial similarity of symbolic images. The proposed algorithm is based on graph-matching and is invariant to scaling, rotation and translation, recognizes multiple rotation variants and can deal with multiple instances of a symbolic object in an image. It is particularly suitable for a query by sketch approach, in that it requires that at least objects in the query have to be present in the database image. Our approach is proposed in comparison with other two well-known algorithms. Peculiarities are analyzed and motivated. Results of a comparative evaluation on a test dataset of symbolic images are presented and discussed.

Semantic enabled resource discovery, and substitution in pervasive environments

This paper provides a general framework for service discovery, composition and substitution in a mobile ad-hoc network scenario. Knowledge representation techniques and approaches are exploited and adapted to the highly flexible and variable ubiquitous computing environment. A polynomial algorithm for composing and orchestrating mobile resources is outlined. Also is presented a simple approach to determine the compatibility among mobile resources and implement a dynamic substitution of services failed or no longer available

Semantic Based Collaborative P2P in Ubiquitous Computing

We propose a collaborative environment for semantic-enabled mobile devices (e.g. PDAs, cell phones, laptops) in peer to peer scenarios. Within the environment, resource discovery is performed exploiting technologies and techniques for knowledge representation developed for the semantic Web, which have been adapted to cope with the highly flexible structure of ad-hoc networks in ubiquitous computing. The approach exploits the standard Bluetooth stack, using the original UUID payload, to carry semantically annotated data. The environment is motivated and presented in a museum case study.

Automated semantic web services orchestration via concept covering

We exploit the recently proposed Concept Abduction inference service in Description Logics to solve Concept Covering problems. We propose a framework and polynomial greedy algorithm for semantic based automated Web service orchestration, fully compliant with Semantic Web technologies. We show the proposed approach is able to deal with not exact solutions, computing an approximate orchestration with respect to an agent request modeled a subset of OWL-DL.