IEEE Distributed Systems Online

Single Sign-on and Social Networks

Letting users sign on to the Internet once and securely access network resources anywhere has been one of the industry's enduring quests. While numerous standards efforts have steadily pursued this capability, most have been back-end technologies of which users are mostly unaware. Recent developments surrounding the open source OpenID federated-identity technology are bringing single sign-on efforts to the foreground.

Distributed Computing Education, Part 5: Coming to Terms with Intellectual Property Rights

Distributed computing teaching environments (and e-science education in general) require a supportive policy framework that encourages cooperation and sharing. If teachers can share educational content rather than creating their own, they increase the number of quality resources available to them. However, in sharing these resources, IPR issues such as copyright ownership and licensing must be considered.

A Floating Backbone for Internet over the Ocean

Satellite-based Internet access, the preferred solution for remote locations on the ocean, either offers a low-bandwidth connection or is very expensive to deploy. A backbone structure that provides ocean-wide Internet coverage could provide an alternative to satellite uplinks. With a wide-area network forming a mesh of nodes using floating and moving objects as well as coastal facilities, the network would use next-generation long-range surface radio technology to provide medium- to high-bandwidth Internet access. To achieve high-bandwidth Internet access under these circumstances, the backbone must leverage state-of-the-art sensor network technology, autonomous routing mechanisms, and self-organizing abilities.