X-Git-Url: https://git.martlubbers.net/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=intro.intro.tex;fp=intro.intro.tex;h=3574b58fc2ebba96e2e0f844cdf97a71e3edc171;hb=6548a5ec9ce8e0df67fc4019625ab5238eb1bf71;hp=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hpb=f54205bc29f7dff01f97618d1d83812937333bc4;p=msc-thesis1617.git diff --git a/intro.intro.tex b/intro.intro.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3574b58 --- /dev/null +++ b/intro.intro.tex @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +\Gls{IoT} technology is emerging rapidly. It offers myriads of solutions +and transforms the way we interact with technology. + +Initially the term was coined to describe \gls{RFID} devices and the +communication between them. However, currently the term \gls{IoT} encompasses +all small devices that communicate with each other and the world. These devices +are often equipped with sensors, \gls{GNSS} modules\footnote{e.g.\ the American +\gls{GPS} or the Russian \gls{GLONASS}.} and +actuators~\cite{da_xu_internet_2014}. With these new technologies information +can be tracked accurately using little power and bandwidth. Moreover, \gls{IoT} +technology is coming into people's homes, clothes and +healthcare~\cite{riazul_islam_internet_2015}. For example, for a few euros a +consumer ready fitness tracker watch can be bought that tracks heartbeat and +respiration levels. + +The \gls{TOP} paradigm and the corresponding \gls{iTasks} implementation offer +a high abstraction level for real world workflow +tasks~\cite{plasmeijer_itasks:_2007}. These workflow tasks can be described +through an \gls{EDSL} and modeled as \glspl{Task}. The system will generate a +multi-user web app from the specification. This web service can be accessed +through a browser and is used to complete these \glspl{Task}. Familiar workflow +patterns like sequential, parallel and conditional \glspl{Task} can be modelled +using combinators. + +\gls{iTasks} has proven to be useful in many fields of operation such as +incident management~\cite{lijnse_top_2013}. Interfaces are automatically +generated for the types of data which makes rapid development possible. +\Glspl{Task} in the \gls{iTasks} system are modelled after real life workflow +tasks but the modelling is applied on a high level. Therefore it is difficult +to connect \gls{iTasks}-\glspl{Task} to real world \glspl{Task} and allow them +to interact. A lot of the actual tasks could be performed by small \gls{IoT} +devices. Nevertheless, adding such devices to the current system is difficult +to say the least as it was not designed to cope with these devices. + +In the current system such adapters connecting devices to \gls{iTasks} --- in +principle --- can be written as \glspl{SDS}\footnote{Similar as to resources +such as time are available in the current \gls{iTasks} implementation.}. +However, this requires a very specific adapter to be written for every device +and function. This forces a fixed logic in the device that is set at compile +time. Many small \gls{IoT} devices have limited processing power but are still +powerful enough for decision making. Recompiling the code for a small +\gls{IoT} device is expensive and therefore it is difficult to use a device +dynamically for multiple purposes. Oortgiese et al.\ lifted \gls{iTasks} from a +single server model to a distributed server architecture that is also runnable +on small devices such as those powered by +\gls{ARM}~\cite{oortgiese_distributed_2017}. However, this is limited to +fairly high performance devices that are equipped with high speed communication +channels because it requires the device to run the entire \gls{iTasks} core. +Devices in \gls{IoT} often have only Low Throughput Network communication with +low bandwidth and a very limited amount of processing power and are therefore +not suitable to run an entire \gls{iTasks} core.