DREMS: A Model-Driven Distributed Secure Information Architecture Platform for Managed Embedded Systems

Architecting software for a cloud computing platform built from mobile embedded devices incurs many challenges not present in traditional cloud computing. Effective management of constrained resources, application isolation without adversely affecting performance are both needed. This paper describes a practical designand run-time solution that incorporates modern software development practices and technologies along with novel approaches to address the challenges. Conceivably, the patterns and principles manifested in our system can serve as guidelines for current and future practitioners in this field. Index Terms D.2.6.b Graphical environments, D.4.7.e Real-time systems and embedded systems, D.4.6.d Information flow controls I. THE EMERGING REALM OF MOBILE AND EMBEDDED CLOUD COMPUTING Mobile cloud computing infrastructures supporting the vision of Internet of Things (IoT) [1] provide services beneficial to our society. For example, a cloud of smart phones can run software that shares the sensing and computing resources of nearby devices, providing increased situational awareness in a disaster zone. A cluster of small collaborating satellites can provide increased reliability at reduced launch costs for scientific missions. For instance, NASA’s Edison Demonstration of SmallSat Networks, as well as TanDEM-X, PROBA-3, and Prisma from the European Space Agency all use clusters of small satellites. 1 ISIS/EECS, Vanderbilt University, Institute for Software-Integrated Systems, Vanderbilt University, 1025 16th Ave S, Ste 102, Nashville, TN 37235, USA, E-mail: {tihamer,dabhishe,wotte,daniel,snyako,emfinger,pkumar,gokhale,gabor}@isis.vanderbilt.edu 2 Kestrel Institute, 3260 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304, E-mail: [email protected] Unlike traditional computing clouds that draw a clear distinction between a cloud provider and user, these roles will be interchangeable in the participating resources in mobile clouds [2]. Additionally, the need to scale up on demand is often the motivation for using a traditional cloud, whereas a mobile embedded cloud is motivated by the need for on-demand collaboration. Table I presents associated requirements and challenges that are not fully addressed by existing cloud computing platforms. This paper describes an architecture called Distributed REaltime Managed System (DREMS) [3] that addresses these requirements. It consists of two main parts: (1) A design-time tool suite for modeling, analysis, synthesis, integration, debugging, testing, and maintenance of application software built from reusable components; (2) a run-time software platform for deploying, managing, and operating application software on a network of embedded, mobile nodes.