Middleware for Mobile Phone Grid based on Android

Abstract

The mobile phone has been dubbed the “the single most transformative tool” for development, its usage has increased coupled with lots of technological advancement. This dissertation describes and reports on mobile grid middleware implementation. The advances in mobile devices promise ubiquitous computing. Smart mobile phones have relative high computing power which is not fully utilized since they are only used for making call and text messages. In this project we develop a middleware framework for grid computing based on android operating mobile system, on which applications could be built. This middleware acts as a proof of concept that grid computing can be implemented on mobile phones. The grid middleware runs on android mobile platform, addressing mobility and resource sharing in mobile grid environment harnessing the raw power of mobile devices which are not fully utilized. The methodology used deployed prototyping where agile methodology was used resulting to “inspect-andadapt” approach to development that greatly reduced development time and delivered working modules. The middleware comprised of the server and client node applications. The communication was based on WIFI and successfully tested over mobile telephony network. The middleware communication and task handling was achieved. The task handling involved the following; ability of client to submit a task request, to the coordinator, the coordinator generate computational load, the server ability to split the task and to submit subtask work to client for computation and results returned back and finally the coordinator aggregating the results and sending to the requesting client. There was successful testing of the middleware for both nodes that is server and client on emulator and finally using two Ideos android phones in real work environment. The communication was successful over mobile operator network where WIFI was not available, proving viability of grid middleware and acting as a proof of concept that grid computing is possible on mobile phones.