A framework for the provisioning of context-aware RESTful services on mobile devices

M.Sc. (Computer Science)Abstract: Web accessible services on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets are a reality in today’s age. Traditionally web services are hosted in server environments with fixed infrastructure. With the number of mobile devices and their technical capabilities increasing rapidly, it becomes possible to provide web accessible services on mobile devices that were previously only available in static environments. However, the web accessible services hosted on mobile devices could consume valuable device resources such as battery power, network connectivity, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) availability. This research explores the requirements, challenges, existing architectures and the current state-of-the-art solutions for providing RESTful services on mobile devices. A specific challenge that is addressed by this research is how the quality of service and discovery of RESTful services on mobile devices can be improved. The research conducted in this dissertation proposes a framework for the provisioning of context-aware RESTful services on mobile devices, namely Context-RSP. Context- RSP is evaluated by implementing a prototype, designed according the specifications of the framework. The prototype is evaluated by using a server test tool. The evaluation of the framework suggests that Context-RSP is a suitable framework that supports the provisioning of context-aware RESTful services hosted on mobile devices