Semantic Description of Artificial DNA for an Organic Computing Middleware Architecture

Abstract

Organic Computing leads to significant advantages for complex dynamic systems like reduced development efforts, increased adaptability and robustness. Especially safety-critical real-time systems, which have to maintain functionality even in the presence of faults or failures (fail-operational), have a very strong focus on robustness and dependability. Semantic knowledge of the system helps to maintain the major core functionality even when critical resources fail.This paper proposes an Organic Computing middleware architecture based on Artificial DNA (ADNA) and semantic description. The ADNA contains the complete building plan of the system stored in each computing node. This allows to rebuild the system at runtime in case of computing node failures. The newly added semantic description expresses the functionality, requirements and interactions of the ADNA components. This allows to modify the building plan at runtime if critical failures or environmental changes prevent to rebuild the original plan. Thus, the semantic description enables flexible degradation and adaptation concepts.