T-110.7100 Applications and Services in Internet P (4 cr)

Assignment Topics


Topic Descriptions

These short descriptions of the topics are intended to show the kinds of things that could be covered by the paper. They are not intended as either exhaustive (that is, other things may be covered) or mandatory (that is, not everything in the description must be covered if that does not fit in with the rest of the paper). Still, the description should be adhered to to the extent that that is sensible.

References are provided for some of the topics. These are usually good starting points for the paper, but like with the descriptions, it is not mandatory to cite all of the provided references.

Topics that have been taken are marked like this.There are currently more students than topics, so please consider proposing a topic of your own.

SIP and Limited Clients

Distributed applications and services too often assume that all participants are roughly equal in their capabilities. Such assumptions are violated in particular by mobile clients, with limited capabilities, changing network address point, and most often being behind a network address translation (NAT) system. Look at such issues from the SIP perspective and cover any features or extensions that can be used to mitigate them.

SIP-PSTN Integration

For voice calls, SIP needs to be able to interoperate with the existing telephone service infrastructure. Cover this interworking in detail, including any features of either side that pose particular challenges.

Instant Messaging and Presence with SIP

It is possible to use SIP for an instant messaging and presence (IMP) system. Cover the features of an IMP system and describe how SIP can be used to provide these. Evaluation by comparison to some other existing IMP system is desirable.

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SIP Security Mechanisms

Consider the kinds of attacks that can be mounted against a SIP-based service, and the security mechanisms and negotiation capabilities that SIP provides against the attacks.

Limiting Spam in SIP

VoIP calls made through SIP are much easier to automate than regular telephone calls, and therefore spam (that is, unsolicited and unwanted contact) may become a problem as VoIP gains in popularity. Cover ways that can be used to limit session invitations in SIP. Note: while VoIP is given as an example here, do not limit the coverage only to VoIP services.

Distributed SIP

In some environments, such as ad-hoc networks, it is problematic to provide the infrastructure of proxies and registrars used in SIP. For such situations, a system called Distributed SIP (dSIP) has been developed. Cover this system.

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SIP Session Mobility

Users do not always have just one device in use, and occasionally they will switch between devices for various reasons. In such cases, the user would like to be able to continue any interactive sessions. Describe the problem area and how to use SIP or SIP extensions to achieve this session mobility.

Future of XForms

XForms provides a useful platform for providing certain kinds of services, but it has not yet developed into an "essential" technology. Discuss the reasons for the slow adoption of XForms, any deficiencies it might have for different services, and how these deficiencies could be and are being corrected.

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REST vs. SOAP for Web Services

At its inception, the concept "Web services" was formulated to refer to a service infrastructure based on technologies like SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI. Concurrently, the properties of REST were becoming understood, and the SOAP-based approach for Web services drew heavy criticism from the REST crowd. Compare and contrast these two approaches for implementing services, from architectural aspects to ease of development.

REST vs. Distributed Objects

Distributed object technologies like CORBA were popular in the 1990's, but have now been mostly relegated to specific niches instead of being used in Internet-wide systems. Compare and contrast the two architectures, discussing in particular the strengths and weaknesses of each as well as their suitable application areas.

Mobile XForms Applications

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm used in XForms is often thought to be especially useful for small devices such as mobile phones. Examine ways in which XForms applications suit especially well for mobile devices.

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Accessibility of Services on the Web

With the increasing scope of the Web, services provided on it must be usable by ever-larger sets of populations. Consider ways in which the Web architecture and technologies help and hinder the accessibility of services for, e.g., handicapped users or users with limited-capability Internet access or devices. In particular, remember to consider XForms.

Security in REST Services

Security can be divided into three components, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Consider the security requirements of services and examine how they can be met with the REST architecture. Pay attention to the question of secure sessions, and do not forget to consider end-to-end security questions, not just network communication security.

RESTful Publish/Subscribe

A publish/subscribe system is suited for the case where the production and the consuming of information need to be separated in time and space, like news articles or Web log posts. Explore ways in which a publish/subscribe system could be implemented while obeying the REST constraints. Compare these approaches to dedicated publish/subscribe systems with their own architecture and protocols.

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Decentralized REST

REST is fundamentally a synchronous client-server architecture, and is therefore not suitable for some applications, especially in the peer-to-peer domain. Explore ways of extending REST to cope with requirements from other domains without sacrificing its beneficial properties.

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Real-time Streaming with P2P

Peer-to-peer technologies can be used to improve download time for content. Typical current cases focus on whole-file delivery, which is different from, e.g., video-on-demand services. Explore the potential of using P2P distribution technologies for streaming delivery.

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P2P VoIP Systems

In a way, VoIP is a pure peer-to-peer application, but implementation considerations often require some centralization. Discuss the use of P2P technologies in VoIP systems, including the use of P2PSIP for VoIP.

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Trust in P2P Content Distribution

Peer-to-peer content distribution requires placing trust in all the downloading peers in addition to the origin server. Discuss ways in which P2P systems can guarantee content integrity and protect against peers not following the protocol, in particular free-riders.

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Security in P2P Systems

Security is considered a fundamental requirement in distributed applications, but the precise needs differ depending on the application. Analyze the security requirements of different peer-to-peer systems, paying particular attention to the attacks on the systems as well as attacks that the systems could be used for.

Energy Consumption of P2P Applications

Mobile devices that rely on battery power for their operation are becoming ever more prevalent. Consider different peer-to-peer applications from the viewpoint of energy consumption and discuss potential energy awareness schemes that they provide or could provide to allow battery-powered clients to participate more freely.

P2P Messaging

Instant messaging is, logically speaking, a peer-to-peer application, but existing systems are typically implemented using the client-server architecture. Explore the issues that emerge in a pure P2P instant messaging and presence application and how these issues could be solved.

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Mobile P2P Applications

While mobility is often considered to be a negative property that places more requirements on a distributed application, there can also be positive aspects. Examine the ways that a peer-to-peer system could benefit from user and device mobility, not possible with stationary systems.

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Optimal P2P Content Distribution

Peer-to-peer content distribution is an active research area, including both practical and theoretical study. Explore the theoretical models proposed for understanding this area and protocols proven optimal in these frameworks. Include evaluation of the practicality of these models and optimality results.

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DHTs for Limited Capabilities

Structured peer-to-peer overlays are often predicated on identical capabilities for all peers. Discuss the effects when these assumptions fail, in particular in the presence of network address translation (NAT), which prevents true two-way communication. You may also cover issues posed by mobility if space permits.

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