Ontology-based management for context integration in pervasive services operations

Next generation networks require information and communications systems able to support pervasive services and especially context-aware applications. This paper presents research challenges in self-management, autonomic communications and integration requirements of context information for supporting management operations of such services in next generation networks. The research focuses on a framework of information systems and their interoperability. Management techniques using information and data models for context information are discussed and studied and then the novel system architecture for context handling and delivery using ontology-based models is presented. In this paper, ontology-based management and modelling techniques are used and referenced in the framework of a distributed context handling and delivery system. Following this, the representative ontology-based information management system within an application scenario is presented. The flexibility of the introduced approach allows for end-user scenarios, which are briefly described at the end of the paper.