Personal autonomic computing reflex reactions and self-healing

The overall goal of this research is to improve the self-awareness and environment-awareness aspect of personal autonomic computing (PAC) to facilitate self-managing capabilities such as self-healing. Personal computing offers unique challenges for self-management due to its multiequipment, multisituation, and multiuser nature. The aim is to develop a support architecture for multiplatform working, based on autonomic computing concepts and techniques. Of particular interest is collaboration among personal systems to take a shared responsibility for self-awareness and environment awareness. Concepts mirroring human mechanisms, such as reflex reactions and the use of vital signs to assess operational health, are used in designing and implementing the PAC architecture. As proof of concept, this was implemented as a self-healing tool utilizing a pulse monitor and a vital signs health monitor within the autonomic manager. This type of functionality opens new opportunities to provide self-configuring, self-optimizing, and self-protecting, as well as self-healing autonomic capabilities to personal computing.