MuSCa: A Multiscale Characterization Framework for Complex Distributed Systems

Abstract

Abstract-Nowadays, complex systems are distributed over several levels of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructures. They may involve very small devices such as sensors and RFID, but also powerful systems such as Cloud computers and knowledge bases, as well as intermediate devices such as smartphones and personal computers. These systems are sometimes referred to as multiscale systems. The word "multiscale" may qualify various distributed systems according to different viewpoints such as their geographic dispersion, the networks they are deployed on, or their users' organizations. For one entity of the multiscale system, communication technologies, non-functional properties (for persistence or security purpose) or architectures to be favored may vary from one scale to another. Moreover, ad hoc architecture of such complex systems are costly and non-sustainable. In this paper, we propose a scaleawareness framework, called MuSCa. This framework includes a characterization process based on the concepts of viewpoints, dimensions and scales. These concepts constitute the core of a dedicated metamodel. The proposed framework allows multiscale software designers to share a taxonomy for qualifying their own system. At system design time, the result of such a qualification is a model from which the framework produces scale-awareness artifacts. As an illustration of this model-driven approach, we show how multiscale probes are generated to provide multiscale components with an embedded scale-awareness ability.

A Multiscale Approach for a Distributed Event-Based Internet of Things

“…In order to master the complexity of routing and filtering notifications in the IoT, our approach builds on the concept of multiscale distributed systems [33] and implements it using multiscoping to control notification dissemination in a DEBS.…”

“…The word "multiscale" qualifies extremely diverse systems [7], [18], [25], [33]. Following [33], we consider the heterogeneity aspect according to several viewpoints and for each viewpoint several dimensions.…”

“…The word "multiscale" qualifies extremely diverse systems [7], [18], [25], [33]. Following [33], we consider the heterogeneity aspect according to several viewpoints and for each viewpoint several dimensions. For instance, in the geographical viewpoint, one may consider the administrative area or the distance dimensions; in the user viewpoint, one may consider the membership dimension to gather users into groups.…”

“…geographical heterogeneity, group membership heterogeneity) may delimit visibility scopes [16] for data distribution, with notifications being visible only in certain scopes. We therefore combine the concept of multiscale distributed systems [33] with visibility scopes to bring into play the concept of multiscoping in a distributed event-based IoT, and we extend the requirements of distributed routing accordingly.…”

Concept of multiscoping for distributed event-based systems

“…PAN, LAN, WAN scales. Then, a distributed system that takes into account several of these scales is said to be a multiscale distributed system [2,5,8,11].…”