- 18.1 Energy
- 18.2 Network Connectivity
- 18.3 Sensors and Actuators
- 18.4 Resources
- 18.5 Life Cycle
- 18.6 Summary
- 18.7 For Further Reading
- 18.8 Discussion Questions
18.8 Discussion Questions
1. Which architectural choices would you make to design a system that could tolerate complete loss of power and have the ability to restart where it left off without compromising the integrity of its data?
2. What are the architectural issues involved in network transitions, such as starting a file transfer over Bluetooth and then moving out of Bluetooth range and switching over to Wi-Fi, all the while keeping the transfer seamlessly proceeding?
3. Determine the weight and size of the battery in one of your mobile systems. What compromises do you think the architect made because of the size and weight?
4. Which types of problems can a CSS testing tool find? Which does it miss? How do these considerations affect the testing of mobile devices?
5. Consider an interplanetary probe such as those used in NASA’s Mars exploration program. Does it meet the criteria of a mobile device? Characterize its energy characteristics, network connectivity issues (obviously, none of the network types discussed in Section 18.2 are up to the task), sensors, resource issues, and special life-cycle considerations.
6. Consider mobility not as a class of computing system, but rather as a quality attribute, like security or modifiability. Write a general scenario for mobility. Write a specific mobility scenario for a mobile device of your choosing. Describe a set of tactics to achieve the quality attribute of “mobility.”
7. Section 18.5 discussed several aspects of testing that are more challenging in mobile systems. What testability tactics from Chapter 12 can help with these issues?