On-The-Fly (OTF) Computing constitutes an approach towards highly dynamic and individualized software markets. Based on service-oriented computing, OTF Computing is about realizing global markets of services that can be flexibly combined. We report on our current research activities, the security and privacy implications thereof, and our approaches to tackle the challenges. Furthermore, we discuss how the security and privacy challenges are addressed in research projects similar to OTF Computing.
Plug-in frameworks support the development of component-based software that is extensible and can be customized to the needs of specific users. However, most plug-in frameworks target desktop applications and do not support web applications that can be extended by end users. In contrast to that, our plug-in framework Plux supports desktop as well as web applications. Plux tailors applications to the needs of every user, by assembling it from a user-specific component set. Furthermore, Plux supports end-user extensions, by integrating components provided by the end user, even into web applications. Plux supports distributed web applications, by integrating components on the client machines into the web application. Plux allows application developers to restrict who is allowed to extend an application, at which points the application can be extended by a specific third party, and which operations such extensions are allowed to perform. And finally, Plux allows developers to retrofit security around unsecured components by specifying security constraints declaratively.
