VMware A Virtualization Infrastructure that Supports Pervasive Computing

V ir tualization technology— as applied in embedded devices such as mobile smartphones— is a practical means for the widespread deployment of pervasive computing applications. As anyone who reads this magazine knows, pervasive computing is all about moving beyond the desktop PC to the computational and digital devices that surround us in our daily lives. The “application” is dynamically spread over multiple, physically separate I/O devices, with data streaming between them. These devices are part of or controlled by one or more computers containing the middleware that provides the ability to use I/O devices on remote machines. Deploying pervasive computing applications “in the wild” requires installation of middleware on a range of machines in a safe, secure, and trusted way with minimum effort. This is a challenge as the machines are often embedded computers with any one of a wide range of I/O devices, runtime libraries, operating systems, and outdated software components without support for remote middleware installation. Owners are reluctant to permit remote use of their devices for fear of potential adverse effects on the machine’s primary function. As if that weren’t dif!cult enough, the embedded computer or machine that represents the user isn’t a pseudo mobile laptop computer as in many pervasive computing demonstrations; rather, it’s most likely a mobile smartphone that often has a highly restrictive programming environment. There is reason to believe that the situation will improve. The embedded computers that control the devices in the environment are becoming more powerful and might soon be smartphones in disguise. Smartphones are true computers capable of interacting with, controlling, and coordinating other devices in the environment. They’re rich in sensors and actuators and are thus emerging as an ideal pervasive computing building block. For most smartphones, only handset manufacturers and cell network operators can modify the operating system, and it seems unlikely that they’ll install pervasive computing middleware in the foreseeable future. The hope lies in using virtualization technology with features that enable the transparent use of remote I/O resources—a fundamental need in pervasive computing. This article discusses some of these features. Smartphones might well be the most powerful pervasive embedded device and the ideal platform for pervasive computing. Virtualization technology offers a practical means for the widespread deployment of the necessary middleware.