Towards Self-aware and Adaptive Embedded Systems

Hierarchical agent monitoring design platform (HAM) is presented as a generic design approach for the emerging self-aware and adaptive embedded systems. Such systems, with various existing proposals for different advanced features, call for a concrete, practical and portable design approach. HAM addresses this necessity by providing a scalable and generically applicable design platform. This paper elaborately describes the hierarchical agent monitoring architecture, with extensive reference to the state-of-the-art technology in embedded systems. Two case studies are exemplified to demonstrate the design process and benefits of HAM design platform. One is about hierarchical agent monitored Network-on-Chip with quantitative experiments of hierarchical energy management. The other one is a projectional study of applying HAM on smart house systems, focusing on the design for enhanced dependability.