A Process Model for Elastic and Resilient IoT Applications with Emergent Behaviors

Abstract

The forming of flocks from birds is a well-known example of emergent behaviors. In the Internet of Things (loT), where many independently programmed devices are interconnected, emergent behaviors can occur. One example is the formation of platoons from independent and autonomous vehicles. Ongoing efforts exist to engineer emergent IoT applications and preserve quality attributes like elasticity and resilience. However, to the best of our knowledge, a process which guides teams in designing, developing and operating emergent IoT applications with the focus on elasticity and resilience is missing. Therefore, in this paper, we deduce heuristically an initial process model which consists of steps and processes to be established in the design, development and operation of emergent IoT applications for elasticity and resilience. Furthermore, through a running example, we identify four aspects which characterize emergent behaviors: unpredictability, detectability, affinity and optimization opportunity. The proposed process model aligns with the identified characteristics.