Research projects
Distributed systems and data communications
SOAMeS - Service Oriented Architecture in Multichannel e-Services
Period: 05/2006-12/2007
Researchers: Lea Kutvonen, Janne Metso, Sini Ruohomaa, Toni Ruokolainen
Funding: TEKES, VTT, Elisa, Kesko, Metsäteho, TietoEnator
In future, enterprise systems will provide to the Internet business services for the benefit of the networked commerce and government. From these business services it will be easy to compose new services across organisational boundaries. The business network topologies are easily manageable, the services well-defined, and the services interoperate seamlessly in their roles in the business network. Both business experties and IT technologies will be empolyed when the business network models and new service ideas are developed, with the help of shared development tools. The interoperability challenges between services, such as common understanding of message contents, and for management of the business networks and business services, are conducted by high-end middleware.
The SOAMeS project (Service-oriented architecture for multi-channel eServices) – where the University of Helsinki handles the scientific management and VTT the coordination of operations – studies the possibilities of solutions based on service-oriented architectures in corporate systems, as well as creates new knowledge on how to utilise SOA-based solutions in general and in different industries.
InterOP NoE (Interoperability Research for Networked Enterprises Application and Software)
Period: 11/2003-04/2007
Researchers: Lea Kutvonen, Janne Metso, Sini Ruohomaa, Toni Ruokolainen, Pirjo Moen
Funding: EU FP6
INTEROP NoE, an expert network supported by the European Union, has the object of increasing the mobility of research and expertise in the field of inter-operability between applications and software for business use. The specified sub-fields are ontologies, modelling and architectures. Our input into the network has focused on the architectures of distributed application platforms and the needs of new service forms. During its initial years of operations, the network has produced some overviews of the present state of research, drawn up common guidelines for the research and arranged conferences. We have participated actively in these operations with the coordination of certain themes, issues of trust, and by arranging workshops, among other activities.
Improving Internet Protocols on Wireless Links using Cross-layer Design (IIP Cross)
Period: 5/2005-4/2006
Researchers: Markku Kojo, Davide Astuti, Laila Daniel, Lauri Hyttinen, Ilpo Järvinen, Aki Nyrhinen
Funding: Tekes, Nokia Research Center, TeliaSonera Finland
The IIP Cross project studies how the internet transport protocol performance could be improved in mobile and wireless networks with an appropriate co-operation across the different protocol layers. The current Internet architecture and protocols adhere to quite a strict division of the data communication functions into different protocol layers. Introducing additional co-operation across protocol layers enables a new set of transport protocol performance improvements.
The project studied how the TCP protocol behaves in a mobile environment with vertical handovers, where the end user terminal moves and the link characteristics of the access link may change dramatically after the handover. It has studied and developed various enhancements for the TCP protocol and its algorithms, such as the TCP Quick Start mechanism for better estimating the available end-to-end network capacity after the handover. In addition, the project has studied how explicit loss notifications from the link layer can be used in improving TCP performance. The results will be contributed to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Some of the research has been carried out in cooperation with the ICSI/ICIR research unit (Berkeley).
Multiaccess Experimentations in Real Converging Networks (MERCoNe)
Period: 4/2006 - 12/2007
Researchers: Markku Kojo, Laila Daniel, Lauri Hyttinen, Ilpo Järvinen, Aki Nyrhinen
Funding: Tekes, Ericsson, Nethawk, Nokia Research Center, Segco Software, TeliaSonera Finland
The MERCoNe research consortium consists of three sub-groups: the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki , the Laboratory of Software Technology at Helsinki University of Technology, and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The companies funding the project have also participated actively with their own parallel projects. The goal is to study Internet protocols in a heterogeneous network environment with many different network technologies and several ISPs. Mobile networks using wireless technology are especially interesting.
The project develops new protocols that enable seamless roaming in such heterogeneous environments, enhancements for existing protocols, as well as searches for new ways of improving the collaboration between different levels of protocols. The protocols and algorithms developed in the project will be empirically evaluated for functionality and efficiency in both a simulated environment and especially in real network environments. The results will be contributed to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Algorithms for Broadband Infrastructure (ABI)
Period: 4/2006-12/2006
Researchers: Kimmo Raatikainen, Jukka Manner, Teemu Huovila, Lauri Liuhto
Funding: Tekes, Nokia, Ericsson
ABI is one of the strategic projects in the Tekes GIGA programme. Its goals include design, analysis and modelling of algorithms for data communications networks, developing new algorithms for monitoring and analysing the network, implementation and validation of protocols and models, and international standardization. The work is divided into three fields; wireless mesh networks, overlay networks, and monitoring and measuring of networks. This research project is a collaboration with VTT and the Networking Laboratory at the Department of Electrical and Communications Engineering at Helsinki University of Technology. The CS Department group produced an overview of the current state of mesh networks from the viewpoint ofend host mobility management
. In addition, the project started designing and implementing two new protocols, roaming-management of mesh networks and network monitoring.
Web Services in Ad-Hoc and Mobile Infrastructure (WeSAHMI)
Period: 1/2006-12/2006
Researchers: Kimmo Raatikainen, Jukka Manner, Antti Hulkkonen
Funding: Tekes, Elisa, Finnair, Finnet, Nokia, Tietoenator, BookIT
The project studies web services discoveryand offering them to mobile users. The focus is on combining so-called Web Services technology and the SIP protocol as well as designing the necessary network architecture, servers and data security. The project uses the services Finnair offers its customers as samples. It is a part of the Tekes VAMOS programme and the research is carried out in collaboration with Tampere University of Technology and Helsinki University of Technology. During 2006, several prototypes have been made and the functionality of the technology has been demonstrated. For the Department of Computer Science, the main stress has been laid on transporting SOAP protocol messages with the SIP protocol.