Konark: a system and protocols for device independent, peer-to-peer discovery and delivery of mobile services

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 designed for traditional infrastructure-based networks fall short of accommodating the complexities of the ad hoc environment. Konark is a service discovery and delivery protocol designed specifically for ad hoc, peer-to-peer networks, and targeted toward device-independent services in general and m-commerce oriented software services in particular. It has two major aspects-service discovery and service delivery. For discovery, Konark uses a novel decentralized, peer-to-peer mechanism that provides each device the ability to advertise and discover services in an efficient way. The approach toward 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.