Cyber foraging

Written by Jason Flinn, this lecture is a primer on cyber foraging, an approach that sits where mobile computing meets cloud computing. The idea is to boost a mobile device's processing power by making use of fixed computing infrastructure nearby whenever it happens to be available. Under this model, an application's work is divided between the portable device and infrastructure servers, which hold data and carry out computation for the user. Where each piece runs can change as the user moves, as the device's capabilities shift, or as network bandwidth and processor load fluctuate.

The lecture also describes a new surrogate tier positioned between mobile users and cloud data centers. Surrogates are wired servers with far more computing capacity than small, battery-powered devices can offer. They are spread across many locations so they sit as close as possible to mobile devices, which lets them respond to network requests faster than distant cloud data centers can. Surrogates might be installed at wireless hotspots in places such as coffee shops, airport lounges, and other public spaces.