Web Services for Devices

The new version of JMEDS and DPWS Explorer was released!

New features of JMEDS are:

– New modularity concept
– WS-Security implemented
– Bugfixes (for more informations see release notes)
– New documentation (on sourceforge)
– Speed and memory footprint improvements
– Storage usage improvements
– Further improvements

Follow this link to futher information about the JMEDS v2.0.0 beta 7 framework. For more information see on sourceforge

New features of DPWS Explorer are:

– Load classes while running (start devices/service from main or constructor)
– Improved IP filter
– Graphic improvements
– Speed improvements
– Create devices by UUID and transport address
– Further improvements

Follow this link to futher information about the DPWS Explorer 3.4 .

The CeBIT 2011 is over and we proudly showed what is possible with the WS4D frameworks. An Pulse/SpO2 sensor using 6LowPAN and a remote controlled window live from the Embedded 2011 were the highlights.
We showed the total lineup from small devices using the uDWPS up to the newest App for Android using the JMEDS Stack.
PipesBox was used to control the window via a twitter API. That was awesome. Feel free to use our open source stacks and get infected by the web service idea and get curious for the CeBIT 2012.

The WS4D group developed an alternative security profile for DPWS, the WS4D Security Profile. Its purpose is to enable mobile devices – such as smart phones or netbooks – to securely communicate over DPWS. An implementation in alpha state as well as documentation on how to secure your applications is available in the WS4D-gSOAP trunk. The highlights are

• direct authentication between devices (no authentication server, no certificate authorities)
• highly flexible authorization subsystem
• in nearest future: fine-grained configuration of security constraints

Of course, we provide an additional version of the well-known air conditioner example – this time using the security profile’s implementation. Check it out!

The new beta 3 of the JMEDS v2.0 framework was released today. The release includes but is not limited to the following new features:

• Support for dynamic generation of local web pages for devices and services (Presentation)
• Basic support for service generation by WSDL
• Support for streaming via attachments (MTOM)

Follow this link to futher information about the JMEDS v2.0 framework.

A new version of the DPWS-Explorer v3 based on the JMEDS framework v2.0 beta 3 was released, too. It features the selection of communication interfaces used for searching devices and services.

All necessary references for quick access:

• Sourceforge Project
• Files for download
• Sourceforge Trac
• Sourceforge SVN
• JMEDS 2.0 API

Most of you may already know the emerging 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks) protocols, pushing IPv6 based communication also down to wireless sensor networks. In the IETF, there are working groups like 6LoWAPP and CORE that are focusing design and development of application layer protocols on top of 6LoWPAN. One approach is of course usage of DPWS ;). There is an Internet-Draft at IETF 6LoWAPP and CORE, discussing this topic of DPWS for 6LoWPAN. So feel free to read the I-D and give feedback!

The First International Workshop on the Web of Things (WoT 2010) this year in Mannheim was held in conjunction with  PerCom 2010. It was a great event with highly fruitful discussions about future smart cooperating objects, characterized by tremendous resource constraints. Nevertheless, the trend towards 6LoWPAN (see http://tools.ietf.org/wg/6lowpan/ and http://www.ipso-alliance.org/) is gaining in momentum. During WoT there were of course also nice presentation about DPWS and WS4D related stuff like the WS4D port for SunSpots. For a complete program overview visit the WoT 2010 website. Let’s hope for a WoT 2011 and many more papers about the cool stuff around DPWS!

Today we received an email, which we would like to share with you.

We are pleased to announce that Devices Profile for Web Services (DPWS) Version 1.1 has been approved as an OASIS Standard. The submission of the approved standard can be found at [1].

Congratulations to the OASIS Web Services Discovery and Web Services Devices Profile (WS-DD) TC, and the community of implementers, developers and users who have brought the work successfully to culmination.

[1] http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/tc-announce/200906/msg00001.html

With this in mind, keep on working.

The current implementation of the integration of our java multi edition stack (JMEDS) into OSGi was now released as v0.0.1 and can be downloaded here. It can be used to distribute the services of an OSGi plattform, use OSGi services with DPWS clients and integrate DPWS devices into OSGi. As usual, feedback like suggestions or bug reports are always highly appreciated (Please feel free to use the trackers and forums located on our sourceforge project page).

We are back  from the OASIS WS-DD interop / face-to-face meeting and the CeBIT IT exhibition in Hannover.

During the WS-DD meetings (23.-26.2. hosted by Canon at their Santa Ana, CA campus) we tested the security part of DPWS with our ws4d-gsoap toolkit. The changes will be part of a new release described later. During the face-to-face we continued the standardization work to accomplish the version 1.1 of DPWS, WS-Discovery and SOAP-over-UDP specifications until June. As you can see on the issue list, most issues are solved. So the deadline at June looks good.

During the CeBIT exhibition in Hannover we introduced our new and easy to use composition tool to create new applications in device scenarios. This time our main focus was the health care scenario. Our compositione tool called pipes attracted a lot of attention. We plan to release this tool as open source soon, so you can connect your DPWS capable devices with each other, with regular web services, web 2.0 services or even other devices that don’t support DPWS!

Apart from that we look for new application domains of DPWS. One such new application domain is distributed OSGi. So we are developing an integration of our java multi edition stack (JMEDS) into OSGi. It can be used to distribute the services of an OSGi plattform, use OSGi services with DPWS clients and integrate DPWS devices into OSGi. We are planning to release this extension soon.

To sum up our plans for the near future:

• Release version 0.8 and 0.7.1 of ws4d-gsoap. Version 0.8 supports the latest version of the WS-DD specifications and has new features like DPWS security support, scope matching support, lwIP support, fixed interoperability issues with vista and windows 7 and maybe RTnet support. Version 0.7 simply fixes basic bugs related to the build system.
• Release ws4d-pipes
• Release OSGi integration for JMEDS

The OASIS Web Services Discovery and Web Services Devices Profile (WS-DD) TC has recently approved the following three (3) specifications as Committee Drafts and approved the package for public review:

• Web Services Dynamic Discovery (WS-Discovery) Version 1.1
• Devices Profile for Web Services Version 1.1
• SOAP-over-UDP Version 1.1

The public review started on 2 February 2009, and ends 3 April 2009. More Informationon on the WS-DD public page.