| Abstract |
Time-critical analytics applications are increasingly making use of distributed service interfaces (e.g., micro-services) that support the rapid construction of new applications by dynamically linking the services into different workflow configurations. Traditional service-based applications, in fixed networks, are typically constructed and managed centrally and assume stable service endpoints and adequate network connectivity. Constructing and maintaining such applications in dynamic heterogeneous wireless networked environments, where limited bandwidth and transient connectivity are commonplace, presents significant challenges and makes centralized application construction and management impossible. In this paper we present an architecture which is capable of providing an adaptable and resilient method for on-demand decentralized construction and management of complex time-critical applications in such environments. To achieve this goal, services must be discovered and orchestrated in a decentralized way with the minimum communication overhead whilst providing detailed information about the workflow - tasks, dependencies, location, metadata, and so on. The approach uses a Vector Symbolic Architecture (VSA) to compactly represent an application as a single semantic vector that encodes the service interfaces, workflow, and the time-critical constraints required. We show that these vectors can be used to dynamically construct and run applications using services that are distributed across an emulated Mobile Ad-Hoc Wireless Network (MANET). Scalability is demonstrated via an empirical evaluation. |