A Design Framework for Ultra-Large-Scale Autonomic Systems

The origins of ultra-large-scale (ULS) systems derive from social problems that are getting more and more complex, such as climatic monitoring, transportation, citizens protection and security. These factors imply a continuous increase of information systems that evolve towards ultra-dimension systems, requiring digital communication networks that allow for communication between people, between objects, and objects and people. The aim of this paper is to present novel approaches for the engineering of highly adaptive ULS systems, with the focus on computer-supported evolution, adaptable structure, emergent behaviors as well as advanced monitoring and control techniques. We illustrate the Networked Autonomic Machine (NAM), a framework for the characterization of the elements of self-*, highly dynamic ULS systems. Moreover, we recall the Adaptive Evolutionary Framework (AEF), for the implementation of distributed evolutionary strategies. Finally, we describe an example scenario of large peer-to-peer network under targeted attacks, showing the benefits of the NAM-AEF design.