Ryusuke Masuoka

Controlling data in the cloud: outsourcing computation without outsourcing control

Cloud computing is clearly one of todays most enticing technology areas due, at least in part, to its cost-efficiency and flexibility. However, despite the surge in activity and interest, there are significant, persistent concerns about cloud computing that are impeding momentum and will eventually compromise the vision of cloud computing as a new IT procurement model. In this paper, we characterize the problems and their impact on adoption. In addition, and equally importantly, we describe how the combination of existing research thrusts has the potential to alleviate many of the concerns impeding adoption. In particular, we argue that with continued research advances in trusted computing and computation-supporting encryption, life in the cloud can be advantageous from a business intelligence standpoint over the isolated alternative that is more common today.

Authentication in the clouds: a framework and its application to mobile users

Cloud computing is a natural fit for mobile security. Typical handsets have input constraints and practical computational and power limitations, which must be respected by mobile security technologies in order to be effective. We describe how cloud computing can address these issues. Our approach is based on a flexible framework for supporting authentication decisions we call TrustCube (to manage the authentication infrastructure) and on a behavioral authentication approach referred to as implicit authentication (to translate user behavior into authentication scores). The combination results in a new authentication paradigm for users of mobile technologies, one where an appropriate balance between usability and trust can be managed through flexible policies and dynamic tuning.

Ontology-enabled pervasive computing applications

Information technologys rapid evolution has made tremendous amounts of information and services available at our fingertips. However, we still face the frustration of trying to do simple things in the device- and application-rich environments where we live and work. Task computing is defined as computation to fill the gap between the tasks that users want to perform and the services that constitute available actionable functionality. To support task computing, we have implemented a Task Computing Environment including client environment, service discovery mechanism, and Semantic Web services and tools. TCE is composed of several components including STEER (Semantic Task Execution EditoR), White Hole, and PIPE (Pervasive Instance Provision Environment).

Semantic middleware for the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to extending the Internet to devices such as home appliances, consumer electronics, and sensor networks. As multiple heterogeneous devices attempt to create area networks, one of the major challenges is the interoperability and com-posability of their services. The traditional way to address interoperability is to define standards; however, there are many standards and specifications that are incompatible with each other. In this paper we propose an application layer solution for interoperability. The key idea is to utilize device semantics provided by existing specifications and dynamically wrap them in our middleware into semantic services. Next, with the help of Semantic Web technologies, users can create and then execute complex tasks involving multiple heterogeneous devices. We demonstrate how our framework automates interoperability without any modifications to existing standards, devices, or technologies, while providing to the user an intuitive semantic interface with services that can be executed by combining devices in the network.

Dynamic service discovery and management in task computing

Task computing ([R. Masuoka et al., (2003)]) enables a user to compose and execute complex tasks in application-, device- and service-rich environments. Task computing is possible through the availability of semantically described services that, can be composed on-the-fly by end-users into executable tasks. Through the use of a task computing client, users can not only compose tasks from available semantically described services, but discover, create, manage and manipulate services as well. The focus of this paper is the technologies used for dynamic service discovery, and creation, management and manipulation of semantically described services.

Dynamic Data Forwarding in Wireless Mesh Networks

Unreliable wireless links can cause frequent link (and route) failures, creating a major challenge for routing protocols who need to constantly repair routes and find alternate paths. In this paper we propose DADR (Distributed Autonomous Depth-first Routing), a new distributed distance-vector routing protocol designed to adapt quickly to changing link conditions while minimizing network control overhead. In our algorithm, when a link fails, data packets are rerouted through an alternate next hop, and the information about the failed link is propagated with the data packet; therefore, routes are updated dynamically and with little overhead. We have implemented DADR on several link-layer technologies and deployed it in different applications, including AMI deployments in Japan; all implementations resulted in reliable networks that were easy to set up, maintain, and resilient to changing conditions.

A layered architecture for location-based services in wireless ad hoc networks

The design of a location services module (LSM) that provides a foundation for location-aware services is described. The architecture enhances application software development by providing a simple interface that hides details of the particular underlying location determination technologies. Functions for multiple technology switching, error estimation, location tracking, multiple technology fusion and cooperative location determination are defined. Several self-organizing protocols for cooperative location determination algorithms appropriate for wireless ad hoc networks are described. An example implementation of location-based services for a world wide web browser using an LSM is provided.

TrustCube: An Infrastructure that Builds Trust in Client

In a client-server environment, typically a lot of sensitive data and/or processes (for clients as well as for the server) are maintained at the server. In order to protect the integrity of the server and prevent leakage of data to unauthorized entities, it is important to make sure that only the authorized person with properly configured authorized platforms can gain the access to the server.

Task computing for ubiquitous multimedia services

The Task Computing framework is designed to operate in dynamic ubiquitous environments in which a mobile computing user dynamically discovers the current set of available semantically defined services. Task Computing allows the end-user to easily and seamlessly integrate and manipulate services found on their own computer, the nearby devices and relevant remote web services. The user can create, execute and monitor complex tasks resulting from compositions of these services. In this paper, how Task Computing addresses some issues in mobile and ubiquitous multimedia applications and some of the multimedia related semantic services currently implemented in this framework are described.

Ontologies as a New Cost Factor in Enterprise Integration

The workgroup focused on key barriers to enterprise modeling for process and system optimization. Overcoming these long-lived barriers requires some new approaches and the workgroup settled on the introduction of ontologies. Several problems and new approaches were explored. Some reasoned speculations resulted, together with proposals for testing their validity. The problems concerned lowering the cost of building and changing models; building and using component libraries; linking to non-process (like data and product) models; and furthering of the agent notions of prior workshops.