Extracting Data from WSNs: A Service-Oriented ApproachMethodologies and Technologies for Networked Enterprises

This chapter describes the architecture of a middleware layer between low-level sensing devices and higher level software layers, to support the require- ments of a software infrastructure for networked enterprises. The development of such middleware layer is an important problem, as demonstrated by the number or research papers and the variety of approaches that can be found in literature. The main goals are to hide the complexity of low-level pervasive technologies, such as Wireless Sensors Networks (WSNs); and to help the higher software layers in man- aging the heterogeneous real-time data coming from the environment. In this chapter, after analysing the different approaches, we select the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) design paradigm as the most suitable for allowing a seamless and effective integration of pervasive technologies into the enterprise information systems. We also present SensorsMW, our middleware proposal implemented in the context of the ArtDeco project, which is based on some of the many technologies that spin around the SOA world. In particular, our software is a service-oriented, flexible and adaptable middleware that allows applications to configure WSN functionalities and exploit them in the form of Web Services.