Real-time Support in Adaptable Middleware

The use of sensor networks in different kinds of sophisticated applications is emerging due to several advances in sensor/embedded system technologies. However, the integration and coordination of heterogeneous sensors is still a challenge, especially when the target application environment is susceptible to changes. Such systems must adapt themselves in order to fulfil increasing requirements. Especially the handling of real-time requirements is a challenge in this context in which different technologies are applied to build the overall system. Moreover, these changing scenarios require services located at different places during the system runtime. Thus a support for adaptability is needed. Timing and precision requirements play an important role in such scenarios. Besides, QoS management must provide the necessary support to offer the flexibility demanded in such scenarios. In this paper we present the realtime perspective of a middleware that aims at providing the support required by sophisticated heterogeneous sensor network applications. We propose to address the real-time concerns by using the OMG Data Distribution Service for Realtime Systems approach, but with a more flexible approach that fits in the heterogeneous environment in which the proposed middleware is intended to be used. We also present a coordination protocol to support the proposed approach.