What is Semantic Knowledge

Pervasive Grid is motivated by the advances in Grid technologies and the proliferation of pervasive systems, and is leading to the emergence of a new generation of applications that use pervasive and ambient information as an integral part to manage, control, adapt and optimize. However, the inherent scale and complexity of Pervasive Grid systems fundamentally impact how applications are formulated, deployed and managed, and presents significant challenges that permeate all aspects of systems software stack. In this chapter, the authors present some use-cases of Pervasive Grids and highlight their opportunities and challenges. They then present why semantic knowledge and autonomic mechanisms are seen as foundations for conceptual and implementation solutions that can address these challenges.