Efficient controlling of End-devices in a JXTA-based P2P platform and its application to online learning

Abstract

The current Internet infrastructure is becoming each time more heterogeneous regarding computational resources. With the fast improvements in computational capabilities of devices, end-devices are becoming important components for the development of nowadays Internet applications. However, the integration of end-devices into Internet applications is a challenging task due to the intrinsic difficulties of current Internet architecture and protocols as well as computational limitations of end-devices. In this work, we address the issue of the efficient control of end-devices in a JXTA based P2P platform. We take advantage of P2P protocols in order to overcome the limitations of client/server architecture to enable the communication of peer nodes with devices despite of presence of NATs and firewalls. We consider as an end-device the SmartBox that is able to stimulate learners during their learning activity and thus increasing their learning efficiency and outcomes. We evaluate the proposed system by experimental study and show the usefulness of using SmartBox end-device in the development of e-learning applications.