Peer-based automatic configuration of pervasive applications

Pervasive computing envisions seamless support for user tasks through cooperating devices that are present in an environment. Fluctuating availability of devices, induced by mobility and failures, requires mechanisms and algorithms that allow applications to adapt to changing environmental conditions without user intervention. To ease the development of adaptive applications, we have proposed the peer-based component system PCOM. This system provides fundamental mechanisms to support the automated composition of applications at runtime. In this paper, we discuss the requirements on peer-based automatic configuration of pervasive applications and present an approach based on distributed constraint satisfaction. The resulting algorithm configures applications in the presence of strictly limited resources. To show the feasibility of the approach, we have integrated the algorithm into PCOM and provide an evaluation based on simulation and measurements.