AN ARCHITECTURE FOR ADAPTIVE MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Mobile applications execute in an environment characterized by scarce and dynamically varying resources. We believe that applications have to adapt dynamically and transparently to the amount of resources available at runtime. To achieve this goal, we use the conventional extension of the clientserver model to a client-proxy-server model. The mobile devices execute the client, which provides the user interface and some part of the application logic. The proxy is a component of the application that executes in the wired network to support the client. As the user moves, the proxy may also move to remain on the communication path from the mobile device to a fixed correspondent host. Logically, the proxy hides the "mobile" client from the server, who thinks it communicates with a standard client (i.e., a client that executes on a powerful desktop directly connected to the wired network). The new contribution of our research lies in the division of labor between client and proxy. The applic...