Component-based development of Web-enabled eHome services

In this paper we will take a look at the inside of connected homes, which build up complex IT systems. The building blocks of such systems are electronic devices, networks, and services, which empower the user to interact with his environment. Web-enabled eHome services offer functionality to the user by abstracting from devices and realize connectivity in three dimensions: (1) inner connectivity, (2) outer connectivity, and (3) integrative connectivity. Generations of Web-enabled eHome services have been developed based on proprietary hard- and software. Today, an extensible and modular platform is required for forward-looking design and implementation of such services. We describe a new view on component-based development of Web-enabled eHome services. While there is an adequate framework (open service gateway initiative) for the development of state-of-the-art Web-enabled eHome services, there is no knowledge about the system and service structure and its architecture in detail. We propose an 3-layer system structure (called PowerArchitecture), which incorporates several established design ideas and show how this cookbook makes system architects’ and developers’ life easier.