moboNet

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moboNet A Mobile Code System for .NET CF Devices.
Mobile Code System Overview

• The system assumes a network of mobile devices
• Each device on the network running the moboNet
  Software contains a list of applications and a
  list of machines in knows about on the network.
• The application list represents the applications
  on a device that can be moved to other devices.
  The machine list represents the machines that the
  local device can address.
• A user can add or remove applications from the
  local device's list or they can request
  applications from or push applications to any
  machine that the device can address.
• Mobile agents can programmatically access a
  device's machine list and can make their own
  decisions about when and where to move next.
• Applications can be moved between devices using
  either IP or IrDA protocols.

Overview of the Project
The aim of this project was to develop a Mobile
Code System for the .Net Compact Framework
platform.   The system that has been developed
supports the code on demand (COD) and mobile
agent (MA) mobility paradigms. COD moves the
source code for an application to a target
device. While MAs move executing applications
(code and state) to a target device.   The system
supports both 'push' and 'pull' operations. Where
a device either pushes an application from itself
to a remote target or pulls an application to
itself from a remote device. The system can
operate over the IP and IrDA protocols
Project Status
A working prototype of the system has been
completed. It can move applications between
Smartphones, PocketPCs and Desktop PCs. The
system will be the focus of future research.
System Architecture
Why Mobile Code?

• Mobile Code Systems have a number of advantages
  for resource constrained devices
• Maximise usage of space on the device
• Applications can be moved onto device on an as
  needed basis and then deleted later to free up
  space.
• Enables location aware applications
• Applications can be moved as a device moves into
  range of another device creating a simple form of
  location awareness.
• Enables opportunistic use of more powerful
  systems
• Mobile devices can move applications onto PCs to
  take advantage of their better resources and
  performance
• Minimises expensive network traffic
• Mobile networks tend to be expensive and
  unreliable moving the entire application to a
  source can reduce network traffic

Future work

• Add Bluetooth support
• Bluetooth would be useful for location aware
  applications. It does not require line of sight
  to operate and can cover a range of 10m.
• Add capability determination
• More information about each device could be made
  available to its neighbours. This would enable
  agents to better plan their moves.
• Address security issues
• Malicious mobile code could damage personal data.
  Future work should look at ways to prevent this.
  
• Wide range location awareness
• Mobile phones networks can be used to provide
  coarse-grained location information. This would
  enable location aware mobile applications to
  operate at city or neighbourhood level.

Mobile Devices
HP Pocket PC h5550 Manufacturer Hewlett
Packard Processor Intel Xscale
400Mhz Memory 128MB, 48MB Flash Display
TFT 240x320 65K Colour Dimensions 13.8cm x
8.4cm x 1.5cm Input device Touch screen
Orange SPV e200 Manufacturer Orange Processor
TI OMAP 710 132Mhz Memory 32MB, 64MB
Flash Display TFT 176x220 65K
Colour Dimensions 12cm x 5cm x 2.4cm Input
device Keypad
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Microsoft Research for
funding this project and donating resources to
enable development and testing of this
application.
http//www.cis.strath.ac.uk/if/moboNET/