Mike Fisher

Active Robust Resource Management in Cluster Computing Using Policies

We present an implementation of a policy-based management architecture for emerging communications and computing paradigms such as Active Networks and the Grid. To manage such open, highly distributed and decentralized environments, an approach based on policy concepts is adopted, allowing support for active, dynamic adaptability in network elements, services and end-user applications, as well as achieving decentralization and distribution. We present our flexible, extensible policy and event specifications in XML, and describe our management architecture. One key feature of our approach is the distributed infrastructure: the Directory and the Management Information Distribution system. The second feature is the Resource and Security Management elements residing on the multi-node managed systems. These combine to provide a light-weight, self-organizing management architecture. As an applications example, we describe the implementation of our management system applied to the Application Level Active Networking (ALAN) environment, implemented in the European Commission Information Society Technologies (IST) project ANDROID.

Dynamic Allocation of Servers in a Grid Hosting Environment

A grid hosting environment is described, where servers may be reconfigured dynamically from one type of work to another in response to changes in demand. The problem of carrying out these reconfigurations in the most efficient manner is addressed by means of stochastic modelling and optimization. A heuristic policy, which is close to optimal over a wide range of parameters, is introduced. A prototype system based on existing resource management software has been developed to demonstrate the concepts described

Allocation and Admission Policies for Service Streams

A service provisioning system is examined, where a number of servers are used to offer different types of services to paying customers. A customer is charged for the execution of a stream of jobs; the number of jobs in the stream and the rate of their submission is specified. On the other hand, the provider promises a certain quality of service (QoS), measured by the average waiting time of the jobs in the stream. A penalty is paid if the agreed QoS requirement is not met. The objective is to maximize the total average revenue per unit time. Dynamic policies for making server allocation and stream admission decisions are introduced and evaluated. The results of several simulations are described.

Active management of multi-service networks

Future multi-service networks will be extremely large and complex. Novel management solutions will be required to minimise management costs. Active networking enables management to be delegated to network users. An active network based management solution for multi-service networking is presented.

NextGRID Architectural Concepts

This paper outlines the conceptual model of the NextGRID architecture. This conceptual model consists of a set of architectural principles and a simple decomposition of the architecture in order to facilitate common understanding of the architecture and its development.

The Internet of Things – Technical Challenges for Interoperability

In this paper, we look at the various players in the Internet of Things (IoT) and explain the critical role of an information broker in an open ecosystem. We look at the challenge of data interoperability in the IoT context and describe the Hypercat standard; a specification for representing and exposing Internet of Things data catalogues to improve data discoverability and interoperability. The central idea is to enable distributed data repositories (data hubs) to be used jointly by applications by making it possible to query their catalogues in a uniform machine-readable format. This enables the creation of “knowledge graphs” of available datasets across multiple hubs that applications can exploit and query to identify and access the data they need, whatever the data hub in which they are held. This is achieved by employing the same principles on which linked data and the web are built: data accessible through standard web protocols and formats (HTTPS, JSON, and REST); the identification of resources through URIs; and the establishment of common, shared semantics for the descriptors of datasets. We exemplify by way of several demonstrations of IoT applications which use data from Hypercat-enabled data hubs.

Pattern discovery in big data streams

Presents a collection of slides covering the following: pattern discovery; Big Data streams; microblogs; and sensors.