Service discovery using volunteer nodes in heterogeneous pervasive computing environments

We propose a service discovery architecture called VSD (Service Discovery based on Volunteers) for pervasive computing environments. The proposed architecture exploits stable and resourceful nodes, called volunteers, that perform directory services in the network. The VSD architecture recognizes node heterogeneity in terms of mobility and capability. We analyze the characteristics of VSD architecture and operations for optimal system performance. Additionally, trust management is incorporated for secure collaboration among nodes in open environments. By showing that VSD outperforms broadcast-based solutions in MANET scenarios prevalent in pervasive environments, we validate that VSD is a flexible and adaptable architecture appropriate for dynamic environments. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.