Towards a QoS-aware Cyber Physical Networking Middleware Architecture
Melanie Brinkschulte, Christian Becker, Christian Krupitzer · 2019
Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are used in various application fields. In those, multiple CPSs can cooperate by exchanging information (processed sensor data, derived data, etc.) to fullfill a task. Thus, cyber-physical networking plays an essential role. The communication in a cyber-physical network (CPN) as well as with the local sensors and actuators is complex. The applications of CPSs may use different programming abstractions, e.g. callbacks, streams, etc. for the interaction. Also CPNs are used in changing environments. Thus, they are afflicted with dynamic non-functional requirements. Due to this, an adaptive communication is important to enforce the resulting Quality of Service (QoS) constrains. Classical middleware architectures do not cover all of these aspects. In this paper we propose an architectur for a middleware that is designed to the needs of cyber-physical networking. Therefore, we strive to integrate multiple programming abstractions and communication protocols in an easy to use middleware. Also, we focus on the QoS-aspects of the communication to sensors, actuators and other CPS. Those constrains require an end-to-end view of system and a communication architecture that adapts to the changing available communication infrastructure in CPNs and correspondingly in CPSs. Therefore, this approach eases the development, test and maintenance of CPSs and CPNs.