Hierarchical, multi-tiered mapping and monitoring architecture for service-to-device re-mapping for smart items

• US 8,156,208 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bornhoevd, Christof, Avanes, Artin, Mo, Brian S., Ziekow, Holger R., Wiemann, Matthias M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANSARI, NAJEEBUDDIN
• Application Number:
  US11/583,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/201, 709/221, 705/1
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities

Abstract

A service repository is used to store at least one service in association with service metadata describing service requirements of the service. The service repository also may store one or more platform-specific service executables. A service mapper is used to determine device metadata associated with each of a plurality of devices, where the device metadata provides device characteristics of the devices. The service mapper may thus map the service to a selected device of the plurality of devices for deployment thereon, based on a matching of corresponding elements of the service requirements and the device characteristics. The service mapper also may re-map the service between devices to maintain a quality and reliability of the service.

Claims

1. A hierarchical, multi-tiered mapping and monitoring system for use with a plurality of device networks, the system comprising a plurality of computing devices having respective processors and memories, the memories containing instructions that when loaded onto the processors cause the processors to implement:

a global service that is configured to track global device metadata associated with the plurality of device networks, wherein each device network includes devices and associated sensors, and wherein each of the devices is configured to execute at least one sensor service to control an operation of a corresponding sensor;

a local service that is configured to track local device metadata associated with at least one device network of the plurality of device networks, and to update the global device metadata based thereon; and

a group leader service that is configured to query a group of devices of the at least one device network and aggregate group-level device metadata for transmission to the local service and updating of the local device metadata,

wherein at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to determine a cause for re-deployment of an executing sensor service that controls operation of a first sensor of an originating device having a sensor type, map the executing sensor service to a selected device from among a plurality of devices that includes the originating device and the selected device, and re-deploy the executing sensor service on the selected device, wherein the selected device is associated with a second sensor of the sensor type and the executing sensor service thereafter controls operation of the second sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to determine the cause for re-deployment of the executing sensor service based on device-level device metadata associated with the originating device and indicating that the originating device currently has insufficient device characteristics to continue adequately implementing the executing sensor service, relative to service metadata associated with the executing sensor service.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to determine the cause for re-deployment of the executing sensor service including:

determining that the selected device is available for re-deployment of the executing sensor service; and

determining device-level device metadata associated with the originating device and the selected device that indicates that the selected device is better able to implement the executing sensor service, including

determining the device metadata by representing device characteristics of the originating device and the selected device in a common format;

value-matching the device characteristics of each of the originating device and the selected device to service characteristics of the executing sensor service as represented in associated service metadata, and

selecting the selected device as having a closer value-match of device characteristics to the service characteristics than the originating device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to map the executing sensor service to the selected device based on at least one of the group-level device metadata, the local device metadata, or the global device metadata.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to map the executing sensor service to the selected device based on device-level device metadata associated with the originating device and/or the selected device, relative to service metadata associated with the executing sensor service.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to map the executing sensor service to the selected device based on service metadata associated with the executing sensor service, the service metadata including a mobility description associated with the executing sensor service and describing a nature and/or extent of allowed re-deployment of the executing sensor service.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to map the executing sensor service to the selected device including imposing a time limit to be met before the executing sensor service may be re-deployed from the selected device back to the originating device, or to another device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to re-deploy the executing sensor service on the selected device by re-instating, on the selected device, a state of the executing sensor service on the originating device prior to the re-deploying.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are configured to re-deploy the executing sensor service on the selected device by obtaining a service executable of the executing sensor service from a service repository for deploying on the selected device.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the executing sensor service includes at least one of the global service, the local service, or the group leader service.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the global service, the local service, and the group leader service are associated, respectively, with a global service monitor component, a local service monitor component, and a group leader service monitor component, and wherein the originating device and/or the selected device is configured to implement a device-level monitor component.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor of the originating device and/or the selected device is configured to detect an environmental event or condition for reporting thereof to the group leader service.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the global service and the global device metadata are associated with a plurality of local device networks, each of the local device networks associated with a semantic or functional description that is stored in the global device metadata and that is independent of a current physical location of the local device networks.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the local service and the local device metadata are associated with a plurality of groups of networked devices, each of the groups of networked devices associated with a semantic or functional description that is stored in the local device metadata and that is independent of a current physical location of the groups of networked devices.

15. A method comprising:

determining a cause for re-deployment of an executing sensor service that controls operation of a first sensor, of a first sensor type, of an originating device within at least one network of devices, at one or more of a global service, a local service, or a group leader service that are executing on a plurality of the devices, wherein each device network includes devices and associated sensors, including the first sensor, and wherein each of the devices is configured to execute at least one sensor service to control an operation of a corresponding sensor;

mapping the executing sensor service to a selected device from among the at least one network of devices; and

re-deploying the executing service on the selected device,

wherein the selected device is associated with a second sensor of the sensor type and the executing sensor service controls operation of the second sensor after the re-deploying, and

wherein the global service is configured to track global device metadata associated with the plurality of device networks, the local service is configured to track local device metadata associated with at least one device network of the plurality of device networks, and to update the global device metadata based thereon, and the group leader service is configured to query a group of devices of the at least one device network and aggregate group-level device metadata for transmission to the local service and updating of the local device metadata.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the cause comprises:

determining the cause based on device-level device metadata associated with the originating device and indicating that the originating device currently has insufficient device characteristics to continue adequately implementing the executing sensor service, relative to service metadata associated with the executing sensor service.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the cause comprises:

determining that the selected device is available for re-deployment of the executing sensor service; and

determining device-level device metadata associated with the originating device and the selected device that indicates that the selected device is better able to implement the executing sensor service, including

determining device characteristics of the originating device and at least the selected device in a common format;

value-matching the device characteristics of each of the originating device and at least the selected device to service characteristics of the executing sensor service, and

determining that at least the selected device has a closer value-match of device characteristics to the service characteristics than the originating device.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the cause comprises:

collecting device-level device metadata associated with the originating device and/or the selected device using at least one device-level monitor component stored thereon;

receiving the device-level metadata at the group leader service;

aggregating the device-level metadata at the group leader service for forwarding to the local service for updating of local device metadata; and

updating global device metadata associated with the global service, based on the updating of the local device metadata.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein mapping the executing sensor service to the selected device comprises:

matching service metadata associated with the executing sensor service with one or more of global device metadata associated with the global service, local device metadata associated with the local service, or group level device metadata associated with the group leader service.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein re-deploying the executing sensor service on the selected device comprises re-instating, on the selected device, a state of the executing sensor service on the originating device prior to the re-deploying.