Serverless and Deviceless Dew Computing: Founding an Infrastructureless Computing

Cloud computing provides computing resources on a subscription basis, targeting infrastructure (hardware), platform (hardware plus system software), and software. Although post-cloud computing models bring the computing closer to the user, they still use the same principles to provide computing resources to the requestor. While building applications, designers face challenges to specify optimal computing resources. Serverless computing is the answer from cloud providers to take care about the availability of computing resources to relieve programmers suggesting to concentrate on programming functions to be executed as a service. Deviceless approach goes even further allowing functions to be executed on nearby devices instead of servers. In this sense, we define infrastructureless computing as the architectural approach where the programming is isolated from specifying the infrastructure requirements, as a general platform of serverless and deviceless computing. Moreover, the generalization of this approach initiates a new computing model where the functions are executed on a lower architectural layer instead of the higher one. For example, an edge server or device, can activate smart devices on the dew computing level and distribute computing to devices (embedded systems) on a lower architectural level. An example may be activating smartphones to perform computing tasks while being charged overnight, or using smart devices installed in cars, while parked in a parking lot. This concept enhances the dew computing architectural model making it a sophisticated platform for future architectural models.