Abstract

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Abstract

Abstract
Optimizing software to become (more) energy efficient is an important concern for the software industry. Although several techniques have been proposed to measure energy consumption within software engineering, little work has specifically addressed Software Product Lines (SPLs). SPLs are a widely used software development approach, where the core concept is to study the systematic development of products that can be deployed in a variable way, e.g., to include different features for different clients. The traditional approach for measuring energy consumption in SPLs is to generate and individually measure all products, which, given their large number, is impractical. We present a technique, implemented in a tool, to statically estimate the worst-case energy consumption for SPLs. The goal is to reason about energy consumption in all products of a SPL, without having to individually analyze each product. Our technique combines static analysis and worst-case prediction with energy consumption analysis, in order to analyze products in a feature-sensitive manner: a feature that is used in several products is analyzed only once, while the energy consumption is estimated once per product. This paper describes not only our previous work on worst-case prediction, for comprehensibility, but also a significant extension of such work. This extension has been realized in two different axis: firstly, we incorporated in our methodology a simulated annealing algorithm to improve our worst-case energy consumption estimation. Secondly, we evaluated our new approach in four real-world SPLs, containing a total of 99 software products. Our new results show that our technique is able to estimate the worst-case energy consumption with a mean error percentage of 17.3% and standard deviation of 11.2%.

Abstract
A B S T R A C T Power Distribution Systems usually rely on closed and fixed communication networks due to the strict requirements they must comply with. With the appearance of new communication technologies that can contribute to the assurance of those requirements (for example, 5G), open networks can be used for such systems, decreasing the overall cost of maintaining and upgrading the communication network. Although, shifting from closed communication environments to networks integrated with the Internet using 5G communication environments can expose these systems to severe threats, since they were developed to operate under closed networks not addressing security by default. This paper analyses the security requirements for Power Distribution Systems operating on open networks, identifying the gap between such systems and the existing security mechanisms. From this analysis, we present a solution based on low cost off-the-shelf hardware, composed by a security library and a bridging device, intended to act as a security gateway for Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) in Power Distribution Systems. We also evaluate the functionality of our security gateway, and analyse its impact on the stringent performance requirements of such systems.

Abstract
Existing architectural locations are often recreated in games using unique “hero” meshes instead of modular assets, which in these cases are commonly perceived as too limited or inaccurate. This applies to real-world locations or, as in this case study, transmedia locations. This study proposes that hero meshes are not always necessary and that modular assets have the potential to recreate even complex architecture. The paper presents a set of development steps for modular assets for game environment art according to a game design lifecycle, and proceeds to demonstrate its potential via a case study. The case study focuses on planning and designing steps; these preliminary results indicate that, when well-designed, modular assets have the potential to recreate complex architectural locations without requiring extensive use of hero meshes. Adopting modular assets instead of hero meshes could potentially reduce the cost and development time of environment art for transmedia games and games featuring real-world architectural locations, as well as increase the reusability of such assets. © 2021, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.