NetDNA: A middleware for seamless integration of devices, networks, and applications

将移动的设备集成到分布式系统中需要允许这些设备与远程资源交互并允许远程服务访问设备导出的资源的功能。作为一个应用场景，考虑在家庭中利用技术，使个人能够通过与旨在帮助他们完成日常生活任务以及监测和控制他们的医疗状况的几种技术设备进行交互来照顾自己的健康。作为另一个应用场景，考虑无线传感器网络中需要合作而不是竞争网络资源的组件，以实现共同的目标，例如监控网桥。在这两种情况下，我们都面临着一个具有挑战性的环境，在这个环境中，应用程序必须设计得灵活、可互操作和可靠，它们必须无缝地协调设备，以完成所需的任务，并具有所需的可靠性和服务质量。这样的应用程序有一个独特的属性：它们必须是主动的，因为当环境发生变化时，它们会主动影响网络，而不是被动的，只是简单地响应不断变化的环境。使用现有的软件技术创建这样的应用程序是复杂的。

Integrating mobile devices into distributed systems requires functionality that allows these devices to interact with remote resources and allows remote services access the resources that devices export. As an application scenario consider the utilization of technology in homes to enable individuals to take care of their own health simply by interacting with several technological devices designed to assist them in daily living tasks as well as monitor and control their medical conditions. As another application scenario, consider the components in a wireless sensor network that need to cooperate, rather than compete for network resources, to accomplish a common goal such as monitoring a bridge. In both of these scenarios, we have a challenging environment in which applications must be designed to be flexible, interoperable, and dependable and they must seamlessly coordinate the devices to accomplish the required task with the required reliability and quality of service. Such applications have a unique property: they must be proactive in the sense that they would be actively affecting the network when the environment changes, rather than reactive, simply responding to the changing environment. Creating such applications is complex using existing software technologies.