Deploying Pervasive Web Services over a P2P Overlay

Nowadays, there is an increasing need for deploying Web services into embedded devices in pervasive computing environments. However, a number of problems arise for running pervasive web services, such as service not being accessible due to devices being located behind firewalls or NATs and therefore devices cannot offer services dynamically, and mobility problems as devices might change their location and thus the endpoints of their services. In order to address these problems, we have designed and implemented, in the scope of the Hydra Middleware Project, two components called network manager and SOAP tunnel, which work together to build an overlay P2P network and provide mechanisms for service registration, discovery and consumption, allowing devices to offer and consume services anywhere and anytime in a Web service compliant form, and transparently to the application developer. A number of evaluations show that our solution is successful and usable in the pervasive service environment that Hydra is targeting.