ICT systems, such as international on-line banking and social media, have evolved into global-scale service chains and have become increasingly complex. The quality of these large scale systems is often controlled on an ad-hoc basis while there is limited understanding of how control mechanisms can be optimal exploited. Joost Bosman, PhD student at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam, developed new mathematical models that effectively deploy existing control mechanisms enabling more efficient use of system resources. As a result of his research, the service level can be significantly improved.
Changes in the availability of system resources are crucial for the behavior of ICT services. In most systems, the capacity is shared among different users. Capacity sharing offers a major source of variability in availability. In his research Bosman distinguishes three challenges in the development of quantitative mathematical models: the uncertainty of demand for resources, the uncertainty in resource availability of systems, and the limited availability of process information in third party systems. According to Bosman, this last consideration was the biggest challenge in his research.
Bosman developed quantitative mathematical models that capture the essential dynamics of service-oriented control mechanisms. An important aspect in these models is the use of dynamic information that allows continuous adjustments in the system control mechanisms. The models of Bosman enable more efficient deployment of control mechanisms in complex ICT chains. Bosman will defend his thesis ´Optimal Quality of Service Control in Communication Systems´ February 12 2014 at the VU University Amsterdam.
