For current computing frameworks, the ability to dynamically use the resources that are allocated in the network has become a key success factor. As long as the size of the network increases, it is more difficult to find how to solve the problems that the users are presenting. Users usually do know what they want to do, but they do not know how to do it. If the user knows its goals it could be easier to help him with a different approach. In this work we present a new computing paradigm based on goals. This paradigm is called Distributed goal-oriented computing paradigm. To implement this paradigm an execution framework for a goal-oriented operating system has been designed. In this paradigm users express their goals and the OS is in charge of helping the achievement of these goals by means of a service-oriented approach. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This work is supported by TIN2008-04446 and TIN2009-13839-C03-01 projects of the Spanish Government, PROMETEO/2008/051 project, FEDER funds and CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 under grant CSD2007-00022.