A deployment system for pervasive computing

Abstract

Software has for a long time been used for controlling different systems. Today, there is a trend towards integrating more software in consumer electronics, home appliances, cars etc. Suddenly software is moving from traditional environments, such as the desktop computer into new and unknown territory. This will influence many aspects of the software engineering process; above all, several new problems have arisen in the domain of software deployment. How can software be effectively deployed in these environments? Current deployment strategies are not directly applicable. The paper discusses problems with current deployment models and proposes a new, modified model. A deployment model for pervasive computing must support component based development, different delivery models, and installation and activation strategies. Support for dynamic installation and activation (i.e. making modifications without de-activating the software), is especially important. We introduce a prototype implementation, the Java Distributed Run-time Updating Management System (JDRUMS), which we have used as a vehicle for eliciting requirements for our deployment model.