Distributed systems research

Large-scale, distributed systems form the basis of network-based services that must deliver anytime, anywhere to a growing set of pervasive devices. This poses number of important challenges: scale of the task of managing of large numbers of distributed resources; dealing with heterogeneity across technologies, resource types; mobility of users and end-devices; ensuring end-to-end service quality and managing across multiple administrative domains. Addressing these will ensure availability of reliable and cost-effective network-based services.

• Distributed Systems and Network Management (DSNM): Our research addresses both the service delivery as well as the systems and network management needs of large-scale distributed systems. We are working together with Tivoli Systems on management infrastructures for dynamic service provisioning with flexible end-to-end service quality requirements for the service providers. We have ongoing work on scalable, distributed replication. Using the principle of moving management function down to the managed resources via code mobility, we are looking at adaptive management approaches spanning a broad range of devices and technologies such as mobile agents.
  
  
• Intelligent device discovery (IDD): In a joint project with IBM Global Services, we are developing systems for automatic discovery of inventory to reduce engagement costs for strategic outsourcing.
  
  
• Synchronous Communication Services (SCS): We are also exploring new ways to create and deploy innovative synchronous communication services (e.g. voice, video, instant messaging) in support of a personalized task/goal oriented user environment. This will allow dispersed teams of knowledge workers to have integrated access to the various communication services at their disposal. An important aspect will be the seamless interworking with existing legacy telecommunications infrastructures (private, public wireline and wireless telephone network) as well as emerging technologies such as UMTS (Universal MobileTelecommunications System).