Client-server computing in mobile environments

ABSTRACT

Recent advances in wireless data networking and portable information appliances have engendered a new paradigm of computing, called mobile computing, in which users carrying portable devices have access to data and information services regardless of their physical location or movement behavior. In the meantime, research addressing information access in mobile environments has proliferated. In this survey, we provide a concrete framework and categorization of the various ways of supporting mobile client-server computing for information access. We examine characteristics of mobility that distinguish mobile client-server computing from its traditional counterpart. We provide a comprehensive analysis of new paradigms and enabler concepts for mobile client-server computing, including mobile-aware adaptation, extended client-server model, and mobile data access. A comparative and detailed review of major research prototypes for mobile information access is also presented.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.4 Distributed Systems
          Subjects: Client/server

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Wireless communication

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation

Keywords:
application adaptation, cache invalidation, caching, client/server, data dissemination, disconnected operation, mobile applications, mobile client/server, mobile compuing, mobile data, mobility awareness, survey, system application