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Mobile Computing Middleware

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Advanced Lectures on Networking (NETWORKING 2002)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2497))

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Abstract

Recent advances in wireless networking technologies and the growing success of mobile computing devices, such as laptop computers, third generation mobile phones, personal digital assistants, watches and the like, are enabling new classes of applications that present challenging problems to designers. Mobile devices face temporary loss of network connectivity when they move; they are likely to have scarce resources, such as low battery power, slow CPU speed and little memory; they are required to react to frequent and unannounced changes in the environment, such as high variability of network bandwidth, and in the resources availability. To support designers building mobile applications, research in the field of middleware systems has proliferated. Middleware aims at facilitating communication and coordination of distributed components, concealing complexity raised by mobility from application engineers as much as possible. In this survey, we examine characteristics of mobile distributed systems and distinguish them from their fixed counterpart. We introduce a framework and a categorisation of the various middleware systems designed to support mobility, and we present a detailed and comparative review of the major results reached in this field. An analysis of current trends inside the mobile middleware community and a discussion of further directions of research conclude the survey.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Computer Science, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Cecilia Mascolo, Licia Capra & Wolfgang Emmerich

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  1. Cecilia Mascolo
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  2. Licia Capra
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  3. Wolfgang Emmerich
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CNR-IIT Institute, Via G. Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Enrico Gregori

  2. Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Via Diotisalvi 2, 56122, Pisa, Italy

    Giuseppe Anastasi

  3. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, DANA 312, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Stefano Basagni

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Mascolo, C., Capra, L., Emmerich, W. (2002). Mobile Computing Middleware. In: Gregori, E., Anastasi, G., Basagni, S. (eds) Advanced Lectures on Networking. NETWORKING 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2497. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36162-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36162-6_2

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