On constructing applications in secure embedded peer-to-peer networks

: formalization and implementation issues in SMEPP

Abstract

The growth of the Internet and the improvement of communication technologies have initiated various new trends. New networking models have emerged. Among them, the \Peer-to-Peer model (P2P)", which is no longer based on a strongly hierarchical model, becomes more suitable; it has been specifically addressed in the context of this thesis. This evolution, from a strongly hierarchical model to a model where all the elements of the network are symmetrical, is also combined with the evolution of communication infrastructures. New mechanisms of communication are no longer based on pre-existing infrastructures, but rather on dynamic ad-hoc networks among peers. Combining both evolutions leads to the Embedded Peer-to-Peer Model (EP2P). Nevertheless, EP2P applications raise many issues to be faced: heterogeneity of the involved devices, unreliable communication technologies means to handle highly dynamic connections between network elements and security aspects. Defining a middleware, hiding the complexity induced by these networks, keeps this complexity out of the programmer's mind. This is the support of the Secure Middleware for Embedded Peer-to-peer Project (SMEPP).
The SMEPP middleware can only be accessed through high level functions called "primitives". These primitives are gathered inside the SMEPP API. Moreover, SMEPP provides a specification language called SMEPP Modeling Language (SMoL). This language allows to build complex Embedded Peer-to-Peer programs by describing how they interact with the middleware via its primitives. Our contribution to the project was the development during our internship in the University of Pisa, of a SMoL translator producing automatically Java applications from any kind of program descriptions written in SMoL.
The first part of this thesis intends to model the primitives provided by the SMEPP middleware. The model, written in the B-language, formalizes how B-operations (i.e., formalized API functions) interact with the network via the SMEPP middleware. Secondly, we document the conception and the implementation of the SMoL2Java translator created during our internship. Finally, we propose a feedback on the B-method used in the context of distributed application models, followed by a critical point of view on our SMoL translator opening new work perspectives.

Date of Award	2009
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Namur
Supervisor	Jean-Marie Jacquet (Supervisor)