Overlay-Based Middleware for the Pervasive Grid

Grid computing is becoming increasingly pervasive; sensor networks and mobile devices are now connected with traditional Grid infrastructure to form geographically diverse complex systems. Applications of this type can be classified as the Pervasive Grid. In this chapter we examine how traditional Grid technologies and middleware are inherently unsuited to address the challenges of extreme heterogeneity and fluctuating environmental conditions in these systems. We present Gridkit, a configurable and reconfigurable reflective middleware that leverages overlay networks and dynamic software in response to the requirements of the Pervasive Grid. We also illustrate how Gridkit has been used to deploy a flood monitoring application at a river in the north west of England; this demonstrates both the flexibility Gridkit provides, and how dynamic adaptation optimises performance and resource consumption.