A context-aware framework for dynamic composition of process fragments in the internet of services

Abstract

In the last decade, many approaches to automated service composition have been proposed. However, most of them do not fully exploit the opportunities offered by the Internet of Services (IoS). In this article, we focus on the dynamicity of the execution environment, that is, any change occurring at run-time that might affect the system, such as changes in service availability, service behavior, or characteristics of the execution context. We indicate that any IoS-based application strongly requires a composition framework that supports for the automation of all the phases of the composition life cycle, from requirements derivation, to synthesis, deployment and execution. Our solution to this ambitious problem is an AI planning-based composition framework that features abstract composition requirements and context-awareness. In the proposed approach most human-dependent tasks can be accomplished at design time and the few human intervention required at run time do not affect the system execution. To demonstrate our approach in action and evaluate it, we exploit the ASTRO-CAptEvo framework, simulating the operation of a fully automated IoS-based car logistics scenario in the Bremerhaven harbor.

Dynamic adaptation of service-based applications: a design for adaptation approach

“…In this section, we first provide an overview on the adaptation mechanisms and strategies exploited by our approach [22], in Section 5.1. In Section 5.2, we give a description of the enablers of the design for adaptation.…”

“…The adaptation mechanisms and strategies that we employ implement the dynamic adaptation of fragment-based and context-aware business processes proposed in [22], which are in turn based on AI planning [23]. The link between the approach presented in this article and the approaches in [22] is the use of the APFL to model processes. It allows developers to define flexible processes that are particularly suitable for adaptation and execution in dynamic environments.…”

Domain Objects and Microservices for Systems Development: A Roadmap

“…The composition of such Service-based systems (SBSs) is not a trivial task, due to dynamic, context-aware, user-centric, and asset-based environments where they operate . Thus, new methodologies, techniques and tools are needed for this novel service composition [13]. In addition, such SBSs should provide mechanisms and tools for the enactment, monitoring, adaptation, management of the delivered services [14].…”

“…The fragments layer is represented through fragments [20] which are exposed to the system and used by other DO to refine abstract activities (i.e., place holders) at run-time through incremental composition of different fragments. The incremental service composition realized by exploiting existing dynamic composition techniques such as presented in [13].…”

“…This task is accomplished with abstract activities, which are refined when the context is known or discovered. The proposed design method for adaptive by design SBSs represents the effectiveness both to the wide range of changes that may occur in the system [4] and in terms of efficiency of refinement abstract activities and solve the AI planning problems [13].…”