The CONSERT Middleware has been evaluated under experimental conditions (using a simulation platform) and the developmental experience has shown that the framework performs promisingly, but requires extensions and additional tooling built around it, such that it may become a productive solution. Specifically, under the current project we have set up the following objectives for CONSERT:
- The functionality of the Engine itself will be modularized, leading to different engine versions for different application complexity levels (e.g. modularize inference into: programmatic if-then -else statements versus semantic complex event processing).
- Create an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) centered on the context modeling and deployment concepts of the CONSERT Middleware. The IDE will support: visual context model definition, advanced provisioning and deployment policy editing, boiler plate code generation for typical context sensing adapters.
- Implement enhanced deployment options. Setup middleware module packaging based on OSGi specifications to enable finer – grained configuration / adaptation options. Furthermore, enable a Docker -based setup for the units that make up the coordinating part of a deployed middleware instance.
- Implement enhanced deployment options. Setup middleware module packaging Implement handover protocols for improved mobility. Exploit deployment options to enable graceful and seamless handover of CONSERT Middleware client applications from one middleware instance to another, depending on shifting context interest (e.g. change in location, change in current activity).
- Test and validate the improved CONSERT Middleware in two real world scenarios: Smart Campus Support for activity monitoring of students and teachers on a campus (it can also be successfully applied for personnel of a company) and Smart Home User Support for adequate dynamic configuration of services offered in an ambient intelligence environment to assist users at home (for example which sensors or cameras to use, which telepresence facilities to select, etc.).
- Create initial instance of the CONSERT Store. Setup an open repository where developers can contribute implementations of sensor adaptor interfaces and deployment configurations for CONSERT Middleware. The seed of the repository will be the contribution from the test scenario. Such repository entries will create an ecosystem of plugin modules enabling specific context-aware interactions within applications using the CONSERT Middleware.