Hoda Mohammed Hosny

On the road to a reference architecture for pervasive computing

An efficient development strategy for pervasive computing requires that the smart object manufacturers design their devices with profound facilities that can be accessible for developers. In our in-progress research, we present a high level design for smart object essential handlers. This design establishes rules and regulations for the development of pervasive computing in general and promotes for quality in pervasive systems in particular.

Aspectizing Database Connection Pooling for Improved Run-Time Performance Measures in Web Applications

This paper addresses the positive dynamic effects of the aspect-oriented implementation of database connection pooling in a Web application, through simulated experiments. In addition to the static positive effects of aspect-oriented programming (AOP) in yielding a robust design by ensuring encapsulation, reusability, efficiency, and extensibility, the dynamic positive effects of AOP in our experiments are emphasized and demonstrated elaborately in terms of some selected run-time performance measures. The latter issue is the main concern of our ongoing research work

A Statistical Approach to Resolve Conflicting Requirements in Pervasive Computing Systems

Pervasive computing systems are complex and challenging. In this research, our aim is to build a robust reference architecture for pervasive computing derived from real business needs and based on process reengineering practices. We derived requirements from different sources grouped by selected quality features and worked on refining them by identifying the conflicts among these requirements, and by introducing solutions for them. We checked the consistency of these solutions across all the requirements. We built a mathematical model that describes the degrees of consistency with the requirements model and showed that they are normally distributed within that scope.

SQL Statement Template: a development approach for database-driven applications

Database-driven applications are some of the most widespread applications nowadays. It normally requires a good knowledge and experience in application development, database SQL, and may be some other fields to build a well-designed application. The inherited nature, which is common in most database-driven applications, is that SQL statements are considered to be part of the code. However, this technique, sometimes, leads to more development complexity and reduces the understandability of the code. In this paper we propose an SQL Statement Template. This template suggests a layer whereby SQL statements are externalized and defined in a uniform way. The template outcome is produced using a definition language, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities in the design and implementation phases.

ILE: a Java-based environment for CS courses

This paper provides an overview of the Interactive Lab Environment (ILE) project and a report on its current status and future directions. ILE is the framework of a customized interactive lab environment for computing concepts and courseware that we developed for our department using Java.In essence ILE is a well-managed, networked set of resources that offers its users a collection of tools. The most significant of these tools are the flexible routes through an interactive learning environment combining the presentation of course information and notes, executable examples of learning materials, visual tools for presenting new concepts that are otherwise hard to visualize, and a quick means of communication within the academic unit. In addition to the ILE framework itself and a few course material demos, two interactive components were developed and implemented thus far, both of which are visual tools but with differing degrees of abstraction and disclosure.

A Simulation Approach to Predicate the Reliability of a Pervasive Software System

The pervasive computing domain is a very challenging one and requires a robust architectural model to facilitate the production of its systems. In this paper, we explain a case study using a simulation prototype to validate our baseline architecture of a reference architecture for the pervasive computing domain. The simulation prototype was very useful in predicting the reliability and availability of the system using the baseline architecture during runtime.

PERVCOMPRA-SE: A Pervasive Computing Reference Architecture from a Software Engineering Perspective

Pervasive Computing is a very challenging and complex domain that still lacks a comprehensive unified architecture. In this paper, we propose a reference architecture for pervasive computing that captures most, if not all, of the key challenges and provides a new architecture model that can be used in almost any business context. It provides conceptual views for the smart environment (SE), the smart object (SO), and the pervasive system (PS). We evaluated the model using a simulation prototype to predict its reliability at runtime.

Exploiting Requirements Engineering to Resolve Conflicts in Pervasive Computing Systems

Pervasive computing systems are complex and challenging. In this research, a novice statistical approach is introduced to resolve conflicts among the pervasive system requirements. It is based on a basic requirements model used in our reference architecture for pervasive computing (PervCompRA-SE). The approach uses the normal distribution rules to validate the solutions for the conflicts. It can save time and effort for the business analyst and the software architect especially when the system scope is too large, the access to the stakeholders is limited, or when there are constraints on the project’s timelines.

Context-aware goal-oriented business process aspect modelling

In this research, we present a new general purpose methodology for aspectised modelling of the context of business processes within the different business domains and also for modelling business processes as goal-oriented finite state machines. Being dependent on context-awareness and goal-orientation, our method deduces recommendations for improving the business process flow. We envisioned how context may be conceptualised, how contextual elements may be distributed across business operational levels according to the goals of the business process, and how business process flow recommendations based on the aspectised contextual facts may materialise. We made our vision concrete by implementing a prototypical framework and we tested our framework within the airlines and telecom business domains. The experimental results showed significant improvement in the financial costs and execution time. The results proved the importance of integrating context-awareness, context-modelling and goal-orientation in the field of business process modelling as well as configuration and decision making.

A comparative analysis of database connection pooling implementations with emphasis on the added value of aspect orientation

Enterprise web based systems require an extremely vigilant management of database resources. Database connectivity is considered to be an important crosscutting, nonfunctional requirement that inevitably impacts the overall, runtime performance measures of the running web application. It is also a requirement that needs systematic resolution at the early phases of designing the web application under development due to its crosscutting nature. Database connection pooling can be seen as one of the more efficient solutions that will enhance the run-time performance of web/database transactional activities. Our work asserts that adopting an aspect-oriented approach for database connection pooling in web based systems promises for an even better improved run time performance of web based systems. In this study we analyze the run-time effects that result from applying three approaches upon cross cutting concerns of database connectivity in a developed web application. The three approaches are: An aspect-oriented approach (AOP), an object-oriented approach (OOP) or (Pool), and sequential calls to the native database driver approach (Native). The run-time effects were translated into run-time performance measures, namely, the average response time and successful hits percentage. We were able to demonstrate the added benefit of using an aspect-oriented approach for this problem.