Architecture and operation of an adaptable communication substrate

This paper describes the internal architecture and operation of an adaptable communication component called the MetaSocket. MetaSockets are created using Adaptive Java, a reflective extension to Java that enables a component's internal architecture and behavior to be adapted at run time in response to external stimuli. This paper describes how adaptive behavior is implemented in MetaSockets, as well as how MetaSockets interact with other adaptive components, such as decision makers and event mediators. Results of experiments on a mobile computing testbed demonstrate how MetaSockets respond to dynamic wireless channel conditions in order to improve the quality of interactive audio streams delivered to iPAQ handheld computers.