Showing papers in "IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing in 2009"

Social Network Analysis for Information Flow in Disconnected Delay-Tolerant MANETs

Abstract: Message delivery in sparse mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is difficult due to the fact that the network graph is rarely (if ever) connected. A key challenge is to find a route that can provide good delivery performance and low end-to-end delay in a disconnected network graph where nodes may move freely. We cast this challenge as an information flow problem in a social network. This paper presents social network analysis metrics that may be used to support a novel and practical forwarding solution to provide efficient message delivery in disconnected delay-tolerant MANETs. These metrics are based on social analysis of a node's past interactions and consists of three locally evaluated components: a node's "betweenness" centrality (calculated using ego networks) and a node's social 'similarity' to the destination node and a node's tie strength relationship with the destination node. We present simulations using three real trace data sets to demonstrate that by combining these metrics delivery performance may be achieved close to epidemic routing but with significantly reduced overhead. Additionally, we show improved performance when compared to PRoPHET routing.

Distributed Relay Selection and Power Control for Multiuser Cooperative Communication Networks Using Stackelberg Game

Abstract: The performance in cooperative communication depends on careful resource allocation such as relay selection and power control, but the traditional centralized resource allocation requires precise measurements of channel state information (CSI). In this paper, we propose a distributed game-theoretical framework over multiuser cooperative communication networks to achieve optimal relay selection and power allocation without knowledge of CSI. A two-level Stackelberg game is employed to jointly consider the benefits of the source node and the relay nodes in which the source node is modeled as a buyer and the relay nodes are modeled as sellers, respectively. The proposed approach not only helps the source find the relays at relatively better locations and "buyrdquo an optimal amount of power from the relays, but also helps the competing relays maximize their own utilities by asking the optimal prices. The game is proved to converge to a unique optimal equilibrium. Moreover, the proposed resource allocation scheme with the distributed game can achieve comparable performance to that employing centralized schemes.

Dynamics of Multiple-Seller and Multiple-Buyer Spectrum Trading in Cognitive Radio Networks: A Game-Theoretic Modeling Approach

Abstract: We consider the problem of spectrum trading with multiple licensed users (i.e., primary users) selling spectrum opportunities to multiple unlicensed users (i.e., secondary users). The secondary users can adapt the spectrum buying behavior (i.e., evolve) by observing the variations in price and quality of spectrum offered by the different primary users or primary service providers. The primary users or primary service providers can adjust their behavior in selling the spectrum opportunities to secondary users to achieve the highest utility. In this paper, we model the evolution and the dynamic behavior of secondary users using the theory of evolutionary game. An algorithm for the implementation of the evolution process of a secondary user is also presented. To model the competition among the primary users, a noncooperative game is formulated where the Nash equilibrium is considered as the solution (in terms of size of offered spectrum to the secondary users and spectrum price). For a primary user, an iterative algorithm for strategy adaptation to achieve the solution is presented. The proposed game-theoretic framework for modeling the interactions among multiple primary users (or service providers) and multiple secondary users is used to investigate network dynamics under different system parameter settings and under system perturbation.

DRAND: Distributed Randomized TDMA Scheduling for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract: This paper presents a distributed implementation of RAND, a randomized time slot scheduling algorithm, called DRAND. DRAND runs in O(delta) time and message complexity where delta is the maximum size of a two-hop neighborhood in a wireless network while message complexity remains O(delta), assuming that message delays can be bounded by an unknown constant. DRAND is the first fully distributed version of RAND. The algorithm is suitable for a wireless network where most nodes do not move, such as wireless mesh networks and wireless sensor networks. We implement the algorithm in TinyOS and demonstrate its performance in a real testbed of Mica2 nodes. The algorithm does not require any time synchronization and is shown to be effective in adapting to local topology changes without incurring global overhead in the scheduling. Because of these features, it can also be used even for other scheduling problems such as frequency or code scheduling (for FDMA or CDMA) or local identifier assignment for wireless networks where time synchronization is not enforced. We further evaluate the effect of the time-varying nature of wireless links on the conflict-free property of DRAND-assigned time slots. This experiment is conducted on a 55-node testbed consisting of the more recent MicaZ sensor nodes.

SOAR: Simple Opportunistic Adaptive Routing Protocol for Wireless Mesh Networks

Abstract: Multihop wireless mesh networks are becoming a new attractive communication paradigm owing to their low cost and ease of deployment. Routing protocols are critical to the performance and reliability of wireless mesh networks. Traditional routing protocols send traffic along predetermined paths and face difficulties in coping with unreliable and unpredictable wireless medium. In this paper, we propose a simple opportunistic adaptive routing protocol (SOAR) to explicitly support multiple simultaneous flows in wireless mesh networks. SOAR incorporates the following four major components to achieve high throughput and fairness: 1) adaptive forwarding path selection to leverage path diversity while minimizing duplicate transmissions, 2) priority timer-based forwarding to let only the best forwarding node forward the packet, 3) local loss recovery to efficiently detect and retransmit lost packets, and 4) adaptive rate control to determine an appropriate sending rate according to the current network conditions. We implement SOAR in both NS-2 simulation and an 18-node wireless mesh testbed. Our extensive evaluation shows that SOAR significantly outperforms traditional routing and a seminal opportunistic routing protocol, ExOR, under a wide range of scenarios.

CAR: Context-Aware Adaptive Routing for Delay-Tolerant Mobile Networks

Abstract: Most of the existing research work in mobile ad hoc networking is based on the assumption that a path exists between the sender and the receiver. On the other hand, applications of decentralised mobile systems are often characterised by network partitions. As a consequence delay tolerant networking research has received considerable attention in the recent years as a means to obviate to the gap between ad hoc network research and real applications. In this paper we present the design, implementation and evaluation of the context-aware adaptive routing (CAR) protocol for delay tolerant unicast communication in intermittently connected mobile ad hoc networks. The protocol is based on the idea of exploiting nodes as carriers of messages among network partitions to achieve delivery. The choice of the best carrier is made using Kalman filter based prediction techniques and utility theory. We discuss the implementation of CAR over an opportunistic networking framework, outlining possible applications of the general principles at the basis of the proposed approach. The large scale performance of the CAR protocol are evaluated using simulations based on a social network founded mobility model, a purely random one and real traces from Dartmouth College.

Shake Well Before Use: Intuitive and Secure Pairing of Mobile Devices

Abstract: A challenge in facilitating spontaneous mobile interactions is to provide pairing methods that are both intuitive and secure Simultaneous shaking is proposed as a novel and easy-to-use mechanism for pairing of small mobile devices The underlying principle is to use common movement as a secret that the involved devices share for mutual authentication We present two concrete methods, ShaVe and ShaCK, in which sensing and analysis of shaking movement is combined with cryptographic protocols for secure authentication ShaVe is based on initial key exchange followed by exchange and comparison of sensor data for verification of key authenticity ShaCK, in contrast, is based on matching features extracted from the sensor data to construct a cryptographic key The classification algorithms used in our approach are shown to robustly separate simultaneous shaking of two devices from other concurrent movement of a pair of devices, with a false negative rate of under 12 percent A user study confirms that the method is intuitive and easy to use, as users can shake devices in an arbitrary pattern

Opportunistic Scheduling with Reliability Guarantees in Cognitive Radio Networks

Abstract: We develop opportunistic scheduling policies for cognitive radio networks that maximize the throughput utility of the secondary (unlicensed) users subject to maximum collision constraints with the primary (licensed) users. We consider a cognitive network with static primary users and potentially mobile secondary users. We use the technique of Lyapunov optimization to design an online flow control, scheduling, and resource allocation algorithm that meets the desired objectives and provides explicit performance guarantees.

Cell Breathing Techniques for Load Balancing in Wireless LANs

Abstract: Maximizing network throughput while providing fairness is one of the key challenges in wireless LANs (WLANs). This goal is typically achieved when the load of access points (APs) is balanced. Recent studies on operational WLANs, however, have shown that AP load is often substantially uneven. To alleviate such imbalance of load, several load balancing schemes have been proposed. These schemes commonly require proprietary software or hardware at the user side for controlling the user-AP association. In this paper we present a new load balancing technique by controlling the size of WLAN cells (i.e., AP's coverage range), which is conceptually similar to cell breathing in cellular networks. The proposed scheme does not require any modification to the users neither the IEEE 802.11 standard. It only requires the ability of dynamically changing the transmission power of the AP beacon messages. We develop a set of polynomial time algorithms that find the optimal beacon power settings which minimize the load of the most congested AP. We also consider the problem of network-wide min-max load balancing. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed method is comparable with or superior to the best existing association-based methods.

Routing in Delay-Tolerant Networks Comprising Heterogeneous Node Populations

Abstract: Communication networks are traditionally assumed to be connected. However, emerging wireless applications such as vehicular networks, pocket-switched networks, etc., coupled with volatile links, node mobility, and power outages, will require the network to operate despite frequent disconnections. To this end, opportunistic routing techniques have been proposed, where a node may store-and-carry a message for some time, until a new forwarding opportunity arises. Although a number of such algorithms exist, most focus on relatively homogeneous settings of nodes. However, in many envisioned applications, participating nodes might include handhelds, vehicles, sensors, etc. These various "classesrdquo have diverse characteristics and mobility patterns, and will contribute quite differently to the routing process. In this paper, we address the problem of routing in intermittently connected wireless networks comprising multiple classes of nodes. We show that proposed solutions, which perform well in homogeneous scenarios, are not as competent in this setting. To this end, we propose a class of routing schemes that can identify the nodes of "highest utilityrdquo for routing, improving the delay and delivery ratio by four to five times. Additionally, we propose an analytical framework based on fluid models that can be used to analyze the performance of various opportunistic routing strategies, in heterogeneous settings.

3D Underwater Sensor Network Localization

Abstract: We transform the 3D underwater sensor network (USN) localization problem into its 2D counterpart by employing sensor depth information and a simple projection technique. We first prove that a nondegenerative projection preserves network localizability. We then prove that given a network and a constant k, all of the geometric k-lateration localization methods are equivalent. Based on these results, we design a purely distributed bilateration localization scheme for 3D USNs termed as underwater sensor positioning (USP). Through extensive simulations, we show that USP has the following nice features: (1) improved localization capabilities over existing 3D methods, (2) low storage and computation requirements, (3) predictable and balanced communication overhead, and (4) robustness to errors from the underwater environment.

MAC Protocol for Opportunistic Cognitive Radio Networks with Soft Guarantees

Abstract: Cognitive radio (CR) is the key enabling technology for an efficient dynamic spectrum access It aims at exploiting an underutilized licensed spectrum by enabling opportunistic communications for unlicensed users In this work, we first develop a distributed cognitive radio MAC (COMAC) protocol that enables unlicensed users to dynamically utilize the spectrum while limiting the interference on primary (PR) users The main novelty in COMAC lies in not assuming a predefined CR-to-PR power mask and not requiring active coordination with PR users COMAC provides a statistical performance guarantee for PR users by limiting the fraction of the time during which the PR users' reception is negatively affected by CR transmissions To provide such a guarantee, we develop probabilistic models for the PR-to-PR and the PR-to-CR interference under a Rayleigh fading channel model From these models, we derive closed-form expressions for the mean and variance of interference Empirical results show that the distribution of the interference is approximately lognormal Based on the developed interference models, we derive a closed-form expression for the maximum allowable power for a CR transmission We extend the min-hop routing to exploit the available channel information for improving the perceived throughput Our simulation results indicate that COMAC satisfies its target soft guarantees under different traffic loads and arbitrary user deployment scenarios Results also show that exploiting the available channel information for the routing decisions can improve the end-to-end throughput of the CR network (CRN)

On the Planning of Wireless Sensor Networks: Energy-Efficient Clustering under the Joint Routing and Coverage Constraint

Abstract: Minimizing energy dissipation and maximizing network lifetime are important issues in the design of applications and protocols for sensor networks. Energy-efficient sensor state planning consists in finding an optimal assignment of states to sensors in order to maximize network lifetime. For example, in area surveillance applications, only an optimal subset of sensors that fully covers the monitored area can be switched on while the other sensors are turned off. In this paper, we address the optimal planning of sensors' states in cluster-based sensor networks. Typically, any sensor can be turned on, turned off, or promoted cluster head, and a different power consumption level is associated with each of these states. We seek an energy-optimal topology that maximizes network lifetime while ensuring simultaneously full area coverage and sensor connectivity to cluster heads, which are constrained to form a spanning tree used as a routing topology. First, we formulate this problem as an Integer Linear Programming model that we prove NP-Complete. Then, we implement a Tabu search heuristic to tackle the exponentially increasing computation time of the exact resolution. Experimental results show that the proposed heuristic provides near-optimal network lifetime values within low computation times, which is, in practice, suitable for large-sized sensor networks.

Optimal Transmission Strategies for Dynamic Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio Networks

Abstract: Cognitive radio offers a promising technology to mitigate spectrum shortage in wireless communications. It enables secondary users (SUs) to opportunistically access low-occupancy primary spectral bands as long as their negative effect on the primary user (PU) access is constrained. This PU protection requirement is particularly challenging for multiple SUs over a wide geographical area. In this paper, we study the fundamental performance limit on the throughput of cognitive radio networks under the PU packet collision constraint. With perfect sensing, we develop an optimum spectrum access strategy under generic PU traffic patterns. Without perfect sensing, we quantify the impact of missed detection and false alarm, and propose a modified threshold-based spectrum access strategy that achieves close-to-optimal performance. Moreover, we develop and evaluate a distributed access scheme that enables multiple SUs to collectively protect the PU while adapting to behavioral changes in PU usage patterns. Our results provide useful insight on the trade-off between the protection of the primary user and the throughput performance of cognitive radios.

Mitigation of Control Channel Jamming under Node Capture Attacks

Abstract: Availability of service in many wireless networks depends on the ability for network users to establish and maintain communication channels using control messages from base stations and other users. An adversary with knowledge of the underlying communication protocol can mount an efficient denial of service attack by jamming the communication channels used to exchange control messages. The use of spread spectrum techniques can deter an external adversary from such control channel jamming attacks. However, malicious colluding insiders or an adversary who captures or compromises system users is not deterred by spread spectrum, as they know the required spreading sequences. For the case of internal adversaries, we propose a framework for control channel access schemes using the random assignment of cryptographic keys to hide the location of control channels. We propose and evaluate metrics to quantify the probabilistic availability of service under control channel jamming by malicious or compromised users and show that the availability of service degrades gracefully as the number of colluding insiders or compromised users increases. We propose an algorithm called GUIDE for the identification of compromised users in the system based on the set of control channels that are jammed. We evaluate the estimation error using the GUIDE algorithm in terms of the false alarm and miss rates in the identification problem. We discuss various design trade-offs between robustness to control channel jamming and resource expenditure.

Cooperative Asynchronous Multichannel MAC: Design, Analysis, and Implementation

Abstract: Medium access control (MAC) protocols have been studied under different contexts for decades. In decentralized contexts, transmitter-receiver pairs make independent decisions, which are often suboptimal due to insufficient knowledge about the communication environment. In this paper, we introduce distributed information sharing (DISH), which is a distributed flavor of control-plane cooperation, as a new approach to wireless protocol design. The basic idea is to allow nodes to share control information with each other such that nodes can make more informed decisions in communication. This notion of control-plane cooperation augments the conventional understanding of cooperation, which sits at the data plane as a data relaying mechanism. In a multichannel network, DISH allows neighboring nodes to notify transmitter-receiver pairs of channel conflicts and deaf terminals to prevent collisions and retransmissions. Based on this, we design a single-radio cooperative asynchronous multichannel MAC protocol called CAM-MAC. For illustration and evaluation purposes, we choose a specific set of parameters for CAM-MAC First, our analysis shows that its throughput upper bound is 91 percent of the system bandwidth and our simulations show that it actually achieves a throughput of 96 percent of the upper bound. Second, our analysis shows that CAM-MAC can saturate 15 channels at maximum and our simulations show that it saturates 14.2 channels on average, which indicates that, although CAM-MAC uses a control channel, it does not realistically suffer from control channel bottleneck. Third, we compare CAM-MAC with its noncooperative version called UNCOOP, and observe a throughput ratio of 2.81 and 1.70 in single-hop and multihop networks, respectively. This demonstrates the value of cooperation. Fourth, we compare CAM-MAC with three recent multichannel MAC protocols, MMAC, SSCH, and AMCP, and find that CAM-MAC significantly outperforms all of them. Finally, we implement CAM-MAC and UNCOOP on commercial off-the-shelf hardware and share lessons learned in the implementation. The experimental results confirm the viability of CAM-MAC and the idea of DISH.

Connectivity-Guaranteed and Obstacle-Adaptive Deployment Schemes for Mobile Sensor Networks

Abstract: Mobile sensors can relocate and self-deploy into a network. While focusing on the problems of coverage, existing deployment schemes largely oversimplify the conditions for network connectivity: they either assume that the communication range is large enough for sensors in geometric neighborhoods to obtain location information through local communication, or they assume a dense network that remains connected. In addition, an obstacle-free field or full knowledge of the field layout is often assumed. We present new schemes that are not governed by these assumptions, and thus adapt to a wider range of application scenarios. The schemes are designed to maximize sensing coverage and also guarantee connectivity for a network with arbitrary sensor communication/sensing ranges or node densities, at the cost of a small moving distance. The schemes do not need any knowledge of the field layout, which can be irregular and have obstacles/holes of arbitrary shape. Our first scheme is an enhanced form of the traditional virtual-force-based method, which we term the connectivity-preserved virtual force (CPVF) scheme. We show that the localized communication, which is the very reason for its simplicity, results in poor coverage in certain cases. We then describe a floor-based scheme which overcomes the difficulties of CPVF and, as a result, significantly outperforms it and other state-of-the-art approaches. Throughout the paper our conclusions are corroborated by the results from extensive simulations.

A Cross-Layer Framework for Association Control in Wireless Mesh Networks

Abstract: The user association mechanism specified by the IEEE 802.11 standard does not consider the channel conditions and the AP load in the association process. Employing the mechanism in its plain form in wireless mesh networks we may only achieve low throughput and low user transmission rates. In this paper we design a new association framework in order to provide optimal association and network performance. In this framework we propose a new channel-quality based user association mechanism inspired by the operation of the infrastructure-based WLANs. Besides, we enforce our framework by proposing an airtime-metric based association mechanism that is aware of the uplink and downlink channel conditions as well as the communication load. We then extend the functionality of this mechanism in a cross-layer manner taking into account information from the routing layer, in order to fit it in the operation of wireless mesh networks. Lastly, we design a hybrid association scheme that can be efficiently applied in real deployments to improve the network performance. We evaluate the performance of our system through simulations and we show that wireless mesh networks that use the proposed association mechanisms are more capable in meeting the needs of QoS-sensitive applications.

The Orphan Problem in ZigBee Wireless Networks

Abstract: ZigBee is a communication standard which is considered to be suitable for wireless sensor networks. In ZigBee, a device (with a permanent 64-bit MAC address) is said to join a network if it can successfully obtain a 16-bit network address from a parent device. Parent devices calculate addresses for their child devices by a distributed address assignment scheme. This assignment is easy to implement, but it restricts the number of children of a device and the depth of the network. We observe that the ZigBee address assignment policy is too conservative, thus usually making the utilization of the address pool poor. Those devices that cannot receive network addresses will be isolated from the network and become orphan nodes. In this paper, we show that the orphan problem can be divided into two subproblems: the bounded-degree-and-depth tree formation (BDDTF) problem and the end-device maximum matching (EDMM) problem. We then propose algorithms to relieve the orphan problem. Our simulation results show that the proposed schemes can effectively reduce the number of orphan devices compared to the ZigBee strategy.

A Novel Scheduled Power Saving Mechanism for 802.11 Wireless LANs

Abstract: Power conservation is a general concern for mobile computing and communication. In this paper, we investigate the performance of the current 802.11 power saving mechanism (unscheduled PSM) and identify that background network traffic can have a significant impact on the power consumption of mobile stations. To improve power efficiency, a novel scheduled PSM protocol based on time slicing is proposed in this paper. The protocol adopts the mechanism of time division, schedules the access point to deliver pending data at designated time slices, and adaptively adjusts the power state of the mobile stations. The proposed scheme is near theoretical optimal for power saving. It greatly reduces the effect of background traffic, minimizes the station idle time, and maximizes its energy utilization. Comprehensive analysis and simulations are conducted to evaluate the new protocol. The results show that the new protocol provides significant energy saving over the unscheduled PSM, particularly in circumstances where multiple traffic streams coexist in a network. Moreover, it achieves the saving at the cost of only a slight degradation of the one-way-delay performance.

pDCS: Security and Privacy Support for Data-Centric Sensor Networks

Abstract: The demand for efficient data dissemination/access techniques to find relevant data from within a sensor network has led to the development of data-centric sensor (DCS) networks, where the sensor data instead of sensor nodes are named based on attributes such as event type or geographic location. However, saving data inside a network also creates security problems due to the lack of tamper resistance of the sensor nodes and the unattended nature of the sensor network. For example, an attacker may simply locate and compromise the node storing the event of his interest. To address these security problems, we present pDCS, a privacy-enhanced DCS network which offers different levels of data privacy based on different cryptographic keys. pDCS also includes an efficient key management scheme to facilitate the management of multiple types of keys used in the system. In addition, we propose several query optimization techniques based on Euclidean Steiner tree and keyed bloom filter (KBF) to minimize the query overhead while preserving query privacy. Finally, detailed analysis and simulations show that the KBF scheme can significantly reduce the message overhead with the same level of query delay and maintain a very high level of query privacy.

An Epidemic Theoretic Framework for Vulnerability Analysis of Broadcast Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: While multi-hop broadcast protocols, such as Trickle, Deluge and MNP, have gained tremendous popularity as a means for fast and convenient propagation of data/code in large scale wireless sensor networks, they can, unfortunately, serve as potential platforms for virus spreading if the security is breached. To understand the vulnerability of such protocols and design defense mechanisms against piggy-backed virus attacks, it is critical to investigate the propagation process of these protocols in terms of their speed and reachability. In this paper, we propose a general framework based on the principles of epidemic theory, for vulnerability analysis of current broadcast protocols in wireless sensor networks. In particular, we develop a common mathematical model for the propagation that incorporates important parameters derived from the communication patterns of the protocol under test. Based on this model, we analyze the propagation rate and the extent of spread of a malware over typical broadcast protocols proposed in the literature. The overall result is an approximate but convenient tool to characterize a broadcast protocol in terms of its vulnerability to malware propagation. We have also performed extensive simulations which have validated our model.

A Gen2-Based RFID Authentication Protocol for Security and Privacy

Abstract: EPCglobal Class-1 Generation-2 specification (Gen2 in brief) has been approved as ISO18000-6C for global use, but the identity of tag (TID) is transmitted in plaintext which makes the tag traceable and clonable. Several solutions have been proposed based on traditional encryption methods, such as symmetric or asymmetric ciphers, but they are not suitable for low-cost RFID tags. Recently, some lightweight authentication protocols conforming to Gen2 have been proposed. However, the message flow of these protocols is different from Gen2. Existing readers may fail to read new tags. In this paper, we propose a novel authentication protocol based on Gen2, called Gen2+, for low-cost RFID tags. Our protocol follows every message flow in Gen2 to provide backward compatibility. Gen2+ is a multiple round protocol using shared pseudonyms and Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) to achieve reader-to-tag authentication. Conversely, Gen2+ uses the memory read command defined in Gen2 to achieve tag-to-reader authentication. We show that Gen2+ is more secure under tracing and cloning attacks.

Route Stability in MANETs under the Random Direction Mobility Model

Abstract: A fundamental issue arising in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is the selection of the optimal path between any two nodes. A method that has been advocated to improve routing efficiency is to select the most stable path so as to reduce the latency and the overhead due to route reconstruction. In this work, we study both the availability and the duration probability of a routing path that is subject to link failures caused by node mobility. In particular, we focus on the case where the network nodes move according to the Random Direction model, and we derive both exact and approximate (but simple) expressions of these probabilities. Through our results, we study the problem of selecting an optimal route in terms of path availability. Finally, we propose an approach to improve the efficiency of reactive routing protocols.

Efficient Broadcasting in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract: This paper presents two efficient flooding algorithms based on 1-hop neighbor information. In the first part of the paper, we consider sender-based flooding algorithms, specifically the algorithm proposed by Liu et al. In their paper, Liu et al. propose a sender-based flooding algorithm that can achieve local optimality by selecting the minimum number of forwarding nodes in the lowest computational time complexity O(n logn), where n is the number of neighbors. We show that this optimality only holds for a subclass of sender-based algorithms. We propose an efficient sender-based flooding algorithm based on 1-hop neighbor information that reduces the time complexity of computing forwarding nodes to O(n). In Liu's algorithm, n nodes are selected to forward the message in the worst case, whereas in our proposed algorithm, the number of forwarding nodes in the worst case is 11. In the second part of the paper we propose a simple and highly efficient receiver-based flooding algorithm. When nodes are uniformly distributed, we prove that the probability of two neighbor nodes broadcasting the same messageneighbor nodes broadcasting the same message exponentially decreases when the distance between them decreases or when the node density increases. The analytical results are confirmed using simulation.

Measurement and Analysis of the VoIP Capacity in IEEE 802.11 WLAN

Abstract: We measured the capacity for VoIP traffic in an IEEE 802.11b wireless testbed and compared it with the theoretical capacity and our simulation results. We identified factors that have been commonly overlooked in past studies but affect experiments and simulations. We found that in many papers, the capacity for VoIP traffic has been measured via simulations or experiments without considering these factors, showing different capacity in each paper. After these corrections, simulations and experiments yielded a capacity estimate of 15 calls for 64 kb/s CBR VoIP traffic with 20 ms packetization interval and 38 calls for VBR VoIP traffic with a 0.39 activity ratio. Furthermore, we measured the capacity for VoIP traffic using each access category introduced in the 802.11e standard and the effect of the TCP traffic on VoIP traffic. We found that while the 802.11e standard can protect the QoS of VoIP against TCP traffic, it does not improve the capacity due to the significant retransmissions during TXOP.

Consistency Management Strategies for Data Replication in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract: In a mobile ad hoc network, data replication drastically improves data availability. However, since mobile hosts' mobility causes frequent network partitioning, consistency management of data operations on replicas becomes a crucial issue. In such an environment, the global consistency of data operations on replicas is not desirable by many applications. Thus, new consistency maintenance based on local conditions such as location and time need to be investigated. This paper attempts to classify different consistency levels according to requirements from applications and provides protocols to realize them. We report simulation results to investigate the characteristics of these consistency protocols in a mobile ad hoc network.

Modeling Propagation Dynamics of Bluetooth Worms (Extended Version)

Abstract: In the last few years, the growing popularity of mobile devices has made them attractive to virus and worm writers. One communication channel often exploited by mobile malware is the Bluetooth interface. In this paper, we present a detailed analytical model that characterizes the propagation dynamics of Bluetooth worms. Our model captures not only the behavior of the Bluetooth protocol but also the impact of mobility patterns on the Bluetooth worm propagation. Validation experiments against a detailed discrete-event Bluetooth worm simulator reveal that our model predicts the propagation dynamics of Bluetooth worms with high accuracy. We further use our model to efficiently predict the propagation curve of Bluetooth worms in big cities such as Los Angeles. Our model not only sheds light on the propagation dynamics of Bluetooth worms, but also allows to predict spreading curves of Bluetooth worm propagation in large areas without the high computational cost of discrete-event simulation.

Model-Based Techniques for Data Reliability in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks are a fast-growing class of systems. They offer many new design challenges, due to stringent requirements like tight energy budgets, low-cost components, limited processing resources, and small footprint devices. Such strict design goals call for technologies like nanometer-scale semiconductor design and low-power wireless communication to be used. But using them would also make the sensor data more vulnerable to errors, within both the sensor nodes' hardware and the wireless communication links. Assuring the reliability of the data is going to be one of the major design challenges of future sensor networks. Traditional methods for reliability cannot always be used, because they introduce overheads at different levels, from hardware complexity to amount of data transmitted. This paper presents a new method that makes use of the properties of sensor data to enable reliable data collection. The approach consists of creating predictive models based on the temporal correlation in the data and using them for real-time error correction. This method handles multiple sources of errors together without imposing additional complexity or resource overhead at the sensor nodes. We demonstrate the ability to correct transient errors arising in sensor node hardware and wireless communication channels through simulation results on real sensor data.

Continuous Monitoring of Spatial Queries in Wireless Broadcast Environments

Abstract: Wireless data broadcast is a promising technique for information dissemination that leverages the computational capabilities of the mobile devices in order to enhance the scalability of the system. Under this environment, the data are continuously broadcast by the server, interleaved with some indexing information for query processing. Clients may then tune in the broadcast channel and process their queries locally without contacting the server. Previous work on spatial query processing for wireless broadcast systems has only considered snapshot queries over static data. In this paper, we propose an air indexing framework that 1) outperforms the existing (i.e., snapshot) techniques in terms of energy consumption while achieving low access latency and 2) constitutes the first method supporting efficient processing of continuous spatial queries over moving objects.