Konark - a service discovery and delivery protocol for ad-hoc networks

TLDR

Mobile devices and ubiquitous wireless technology have driven the need to extend network‑based service discovery to wireless and ad‑hoc environments, yet current protocols fail to handle ad‑hoc complexity and prioritize device capabilities over device‑independent services. Konark is a protocol for ad‑hoc, peer‑to‑peer networks that targets device‑independent services. Konark achieves this through a fully distributed peer‑to‑peer discovery using XML‑based service descriptions and a micro‑HTTP server on each device that delivers services via SOAP. Konark provides a framework for connecting isolated services offered by proximal pervasive devices over a wireless medium.

Abstract

The proliferation of mobile devices and the pervasiveness of wireless technology have provided a major impetus to replicate the network-based service discovery technologies in wireless and mobile networks. However, existing service discovery protocols and delivery mechanisms fall short of accommodating the complexities of the ad-hoc environment. They also place emphasis on device capabilities as services rather than device independent software services, making them unsuitable for m-commerce oriented scenarios. Konark is a service discovery and delivery protocol designed specifically for ad-hoc, peer-to-peer networks, and targeted towards device independent services in particular. It has two major aspects - service discovery and service delivery. For discovery, Konark uses a completely distributed, peer-to-peer mechanism that provides each device the ability to advertise and discover services in the network. The approach towards service description is XML based. It includes a description template that allows services to be described in a human and software understandable forms. A micro-HTTP server present on each device handles service delivery, which is based on SOAP. Konark provides a framework for connecting isolated services offered by proximal pervasive devices over a wireless medium.