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251-0373-00L 5 Credits BSC , DS , MSC D-INFK
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Mobile and Personal Information Systems

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. em. Dr. Moira Norrie
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:07:02

Abstract

The course examines how traditional data management techniques have been adapted to support various forms of mobile information systems. Topics to be covered include: databases of mobile objects, embedded databases, context-awareness, real-time processing of data streams, synchronization and mobile transactions, P2P architectures and opportunistic data sharing.

Objective

The students will acquire an understanding of why and how traditional data management techniques have been adapted for mobile information systems.

Content

Advances in mobile devices and communication technologies have led to a rapid increase in demands for various forms of mobile information systems where the users, application entities or the databases themselves may be mobile. Traditional data management techniques have to be adapted to meet the requirements of such systems and cope with new connection, access and synchronisation issues. Hardware restrictions of mobile devices such as computational performance, storage capacity and power consumption introduce the need for lightweight data management systems to support personal information management. These devices will increasingly become integrated into the users’ lives and be expected to support a range of activities in different environments. Applications should be context-aware, adapting functionality and information delivery to the current environment and task. Various forms of software and hardware sensors may be used to determine the current context and this requires techniques to process and analyse data streams in real-time. User mobility, and the varying and intermittent connectivity that it implies, gives rise to new forms of dynamic collaboration that require more flexible and lightweight mechanisms for synchronisation and consistency maintenance. In this course, we will study the different forms of mobility and collaboration that applications require and how these influence the design of system architectures. We then go on to present specific technologies and mechanisms designed to meet the requirements of mobile and personal information systems. Topics to be covered include: - data management for mobile objects - embedded databases for mobile devices - context-awareness and adaptive information delivery - real-time processing of data streams - synchronisation and mobile transactions - opportunistic data sharing and peer-to-peer architectures

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC , DS , MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
session examination
Mode
oral 15 minutes

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture Mobile and Personal Information Systems
  • Thu 09:15-11:00 (IFW D 42)
2 h weekly
exercise Mobile and Personal Information Systems
  • Thu 13:15-14:00 (IFW D 42)
1 h weekly

Offered In