Showing papers on "Disaster recovery published in 2016"

Survey: Live Migration and Disaster Recovery over Long-Distance Networks

Abstract: We study the virtual machine live migration (LM) and disaster recovery (DR) from a networking perspective, considering long-distance networks, for example, between data centers. These networks are usually constrained by limited available bandwidth, increased latency and congestion, or high cost of use when dedicated network resources are used, while their exact characteristics cannot be controlled. LM and DR present several challenges due to the large amounts of data that need to be transferred over long-distance networks, which increase with the number of migrated or protected resources. In this context, our work presents the way LM and DR are currently being performed and their operation in long-distance networking environments, discussing related issues and bottlenecks and surveying other works. We also present the way networks are evolving today and the new technologies and protocols (e.g., software-defined networking, or SDN, and flexible optical networks) that can be used to boost the efficiency of LM and DR over long distances. Traffic redirection in a long-distance environment is also an important part of the whole equation, since it directly affects the transparency of LM and DR. Related works and solutions both from academia and the industry are presented.

UAV-assisted disaster management: Applications and open issues

Abstract: The fast-paced development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their use in different domains, opens a new paradigm on their use in natural disaster management. In UAV-assisted disaster management applications, UAVs not only survey the affected area but also assist in establishing the communication network between the disaster survivors, rescue teams and nearest available cellular infrastructure. This paper identifies main disaster management applications of UAV networks and discusses open research issues related to UAV-assisted disaster management.

Disaster Management from a POM Perspective: Mapping a New Domain

Abstract: We have reviewed disaster management research papers published in major operations management, management science, operations research, supply chain management and transportation/logistics journals. In reviewing these studies, our objective is to assess and present the macro level "architectural blue print" of disaster management research with the hope that it will attract new researchers and motivate established researchers to contribute to this important field. The secondary objective is to bring this disaster research to the attention of disaster administrators so that disasters are managed more efficiently and more effectively. We have mapped the disaster management research on the following five attributes of a disaster: (1) Disaster Management Function (decision-making process, prevention and mitigation, evacuation, humanitarian logistics, casualty management, and recovery and restoration), (2) Time of Disaster (before, during and after), (3) Type of Disaster (accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, terrorism and wildfires etc.), (4) Data Type (Field and Archival data, Real data and Hypothetical data), and (5) Data Analysis Technique (bidding models, decision analysis, expert systems, fuzzy system analysis, game theory, heuristics, mathematical programming, network flow models, queueing theory, simulation and statistical analysis). We have done cross tabulations of data among these five parameters to gain greater insights into disaster research. Recommendations for future research are provided.

The Role of Parents, Parenting and the Family Environment in Children’s Post-Disaster Mental Health

Abstract: There is widespread support for the hypothesis that, post-disaster, children's mental health is impacted--at least in part--via the impact on parents, parenting, parent-child interactions, and the family environment. To some degree, the enthusiasm with which this hypothesis is held outstrips the evidence examining it. The current paper critically evaluates the empirical evidence for this hypothesis and concludes that although limited (both in terms of number of existing studies and methodological flaws), the extant literature indicates some parent-related variables, as well as some aspects of the family environment are likely to constitute risk or protective factors for children. Given that parenting is modifiable, it is proposed that the identified parent- and family-related factors represent important therapeutic targets, and a universal post-disaster parenting intervention (Disaster Recovery Triple P) is described.

Live synchronization and management of virtual machines across computing and virtualization platforms and using live synchronization to support disaster recovery

Abstract: An illustrative “Live Synchronization” feature in a data storage management system can reduce the downtime that arises in failover situations. The illustrative Live Sync embodiment uses backup data to create and maintain a ready (or “warm”) virtualized computing platform comprising one or more virtual machines (“VMs”) that are configured and ready to be activated and take over data processing from another data processing platform operating in the production environment. The “warm” computing platform awaits activation as a failover solution for the production system(s) and can be co-located at the production data center, or configured at a remote or disaster recovery site, which in some embodiments is configured “in the cloud.” Both local and remote illustrative embodiments are discussed herein. An “incremental forever” approach can be combined with deduplication and synthetic full backups to speed up data transfer and update the disaster recovery sites.

Stochastic Geometry Study on Device-to-Device Communication as a Disaster Relief Solution

Abstract: With the unprecedented new capabilities introduced by modern broadband wireless networks, public safety (PS) agencies are increasingly depending on such networks for their mission-critical communications. One of the key enablers for this adoption is the device-to-device (D2D) communications, where mobile devices can connect directly between each other, without the need for a base station (BS) nor a switching core to handle and route the traffic. This feature is a vital communication backup in case of a network infrastructure failure or a natural disaster. In this paper, we analytically quantify the cellular network performance during massive infrastructure failure, where some terminals can play the role of low-power relay nodes forming multihop communication links to assist farther terminals outside the reach of the healthy network coverage. Namely, we analytically determine the D2D effect in alleviating the damage caused by the disaster. This paper is based on stochastic geometry analysis and presents a novel analytical methodology that is applicable to wide scenarios of network conditions and parameters. This methodology is verified through Monte Carlo simulations for practical network parameters based on the latest Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) recommendations.

Unequal Recovery? Federal Resource Distribution after a Midwest Flood Disaster

Abstract: Following severe flooding in 2008, three Iowa communities acquired over 1000 damaged properties to support disaster recovery and mitigation. This research applies a distributive justice framework to analyze the distribution of disaster recovery funds for property acquisition. Two research questions drive the analysis: (1) how does recovery vary by acquisition funding source; and (2) what is the relationship between recovery and vulnerable populations? Through spatial econometric modeling, relative recovery is compared between two federal programs that funded the acquisitions, and across socially vulnerable populations. The results indicate both distributive and temporal inequalities in the allocation of federal recovery funds. In particular, Latino and elderly populations were associated with lower recovery rates. Recommendations for future research in flood recovery and acquisitions are provided.

Human---agent collaboration for disaster response

Abstract: In the aftermath of major disasters, first responders are typically overwhelmed with large numbers of, spatially distributed, search and rescue tasks, each with their own requirements. Moreover, responders have to operate in highly uncertain and dynamic environments where new tasks may appear and hazards may be spreading across the disaster space. Hence, rescue missions may need to be re-planned as new information comes in, tasks are completed, or new hazards are discovered. Finding an optimal allocation of resources to complete all the tasks is a major computational challenge. In this paper, we use decision theoretic techniques to solve the task allocation problem posed by emergency response planning and then deploy our solution as part of an agent-based planning tool in real-world field trials. By so doing, we are able to study the interactional issues that arise when humans are guided by an agent. Specifically, we develop an algorithm, based on a multi-agent Markov decision process representation of the task allocation problem and show that it outperforms standard baseline solutions. We then integrate the algorithm into a planning agent that responds to requests for tasks from participants in a mixed-reality location-based game, called AtomicOrchid, that simulates disaster response settings in the real-world. We then run a number of trials of our planning agent and compare it against a purely human driven system. Our analysis of these trials show that human commanders adapt to the planning agent by taking on a more supervisory role and that, by providing humans with the flexibility of requesting plans from the agent, allows them to perform more tasks more efficiently than using purely human interactions to allocate tasks. We also discuss how such flexibility could lead to poor performance if left unchecked.

Recovery of infrastructure networks after localised attacks

Abstract: The stability of infrastructure network is always a critical issue studied by researchers in different fields. A lot of works have been devoted to reveal the robustness of the infrastructure networks against random and malicious attacks. However, real attack scenarios such as earthquakes and typhoons are instead localised attacks which are investigated only recently. Unlike previous studies, we examine in this paper the resilience of infrastructure networks by focusing on the recovery process from localised attacks. We introduce various preferential repair strategies and found that they facilitate and improve network recovery compared to that of random repairs, especially when population size is uneven at different locations. Moreover, our strategic repair methods show similar effectiveness as the greedy repair. The validations are conducted on simulated networks, and on real networks with real disasters. Our method is meaningful in practice as it can largely enhance network resilience and contribute to network risk reduction.

Aerial base stations with opportunistic links for next generation emergency communications

Abstract: Rapidly deployable and reliable mission-critical communication networks are fundamental requirements to guarantee the successful operations of public safety officers during disaster recovery and crisis management preparedness. The ABSOLUTE project focused on designing, prototyping, and demonstrating a high-capacity IP mobile data network with low latency and large coverage suitable for many forms of multimedia delivery including public safety scenarios. The ABSOLUTE project combines aerial, terrestrial, and satellites communication networks for providing a robust standalone system able to deliver resilience communication systems. This article focuses on describing the main outcomes of the ABSOLUTE project in terms of network and system architecture, regulations, and implementation of aerial base stations, portable land mobile units, satellite backhauling, S-MIM satellite messaging, and multimode user equipments.

Barriers to the long-term recovery of individuals with disabilities following a disaster.

Abstract: This study examines how pre-existing disabling conditions influenced the recovery process of survivors of Hurricane Katrina. It focuses specifically on the barriers that hindered the recovery process in these individuals. Focus groups were convened in four Gulf Coast states with 31 individuals with disabilities who lived in or around New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Five themes emerged as the most significant barriers to recovery: housing; transportation; employment; physical and mental health; and accessing recovery services. While these barriers to recovery were probably common to most survivors of the disaster, the research results suggest that disability status enhanced the challenges that participants experienced in negotiating the recovery process and in acquiring resources that accommodated their disabilities. The findings indicate that, when disaster recovery services and resources did not accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities, recovery was hindered. Recovery efforts should include building accessible infrastructure and services that will allow for participation by all.

"That was the Last Time I Saw my House": The Importance of Place Attachment among Children and Youth in Disaster Contexts.

Abstract: Place attachment is important for children and youth's disaster preparedness, experiences, recovery, and resilience, but most of the literature on place and disasters has focused on adults. Drawing on the community disaster risk reduction, recovery, and resilience literature as well as the literature on normative place attachment, children and youth's place-relevant disaster experiences are examined. Prior to a disaster, place attachments are postulated to enhance children and youth's disaster preparedness contributions and reinforce their pre-disaster resilience. During a disaster, damage of, and displacement from, places of importance can create significant emotional distress among children and youth. Following a disaster, pre-existing as well as new place ties can aid in their recovery and bolster their resilience moving forward. This framework enriches current theories of disaster recovery, resilience, and place attachment, and sets an agenda for future research.

Drone Empowered Small Cellular Disaster Recovery Networks for Resilient Smart Cities

Abstract: Resilient communication networks, which can continue operations even after a calamity, will be a central feature of future smart cities Recent proliferation of drones propelled by the availability of cheap commodity hardware presents a new avenue for provisioning such networks In particular, with the advent of Google's Sky Bender and Facebook's internet drone, drone empowered small cellular networks (DSCNs) are no longer fantasy DSCNs are attractive solution for public safety networks because of swift deployment capability and intrinsic network reconfigurability While DSCNs have received some attention in the recent past, the design space of such networks has not been extensively traversed In particular, co-existence of such networks with an operational ground cellular network in a post-disaster situation has not been investigated Moreover, design parameters such as optimal altitude and number of drone base stations, etc, as a function of destroyed base stations, propagation conditions, etc, have not been explored In order to address these design issues, we present a comprehensive statistical framework which is developed from stochastic geometric perspective We then employ the developed framework to investigate the impact of several parametric variations on the performance of the DSCNs Without loss of any generality, in this article, the performance metric employed is coverage probability of a down-link mobile user It is demonstrated that by intelligently selecting the number of drones and their corresponding altitudes, ground users coverage can be significantly enhanced This is attained without incurring significant performance penalty to the mobile users which continue to be served from operating ground infrastructure

Networking smartphones for disaster recovery

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate how to network smart-phones for providing communications in disaster recovery. By bridging the gaps among different kinds of wireless networks, we have designed and implemented a system called TeamPhone, which provides smartphones the capabilities of communications in disaster recovery. Specifically, TeamPhone consists of two components: a messaging system and a self-rescue system. The messaging system integrates cellular networking, ad-hoc networking and opportunistic networking seamlessly, and enables communications among rescue workers. The self-rescue system energy-efficiently groups the smartphones of trapped survivor and sends out emergency messages so as to assist rescue operations. We have implemented TeamPhone as a prototype application on the Android platform and deployed it on off-the-shelf smartphones. Experiment results show that TeamPhone can properly fulfill communication requirements and greatly facilitate rescue operations in disaster recovery.

Bringing movable and deployable networks to disaster areas: development and field test of MDRU

Abstract: Communication demand is paramount for disaster-affected people to confirm safety, seek help, and gather evacuation information. However, the communication infrastructure is likely to be crippled due to a natural disaster, which makes disaster response excruciatingly difficult. Although traditional approaches can partially fulfill the most important requirements from the user perspective, including prompt deployment, high capacity, large coverage, useful disaster-time application, and carrier-free usability, a complete solution that provides all those features is still required. Our collaborative research and development group has developed the Movable and Deployable Resource Unit, which is referred to as the MDRU and has been proven to have all those required features. Via extensive field tests using a compact version of an MDRU (i.e., the van-type MDRU), we verify the effectiveness of the MDRU-based disaster recovery network. Moreover, we demonstrate the further improvement of the MDRU’s performance when it is complemented by other technologies such as relay-by-smartphone or satellites.

P2P cloud network services for IoT based disaster situations information

Abstract: In order to cope with disaster situations properly, it is very important to identify the disaster scale and provide the accurate information of the site to the appropriate authorities including disaster site and Central Disaster Management Center, on-site command post, etc. and share the information provided. In particular, sharing information on disaster situations should control the disaster quickly to prevent the disaster situation from lasting and expanding. However, in the event of a large-scale disaster, delay is caused in the existing commercial network and therefore, the disaster situation cannot be communicated quickly and accurately. In order to determine the situation exactly in the event of a disaster, safety and connectivity of the network and flow of data are very important. Even if the stability of the network and connection of nodes are resolved in the network of each agency business operator, it is necessary to share the platform between networks for IoT/M2M communication for the smooth flow of data. Recently, the disaster safety net of combining existing disaster standard technology with Ubiquitous Technology and Smart IT such as Tetra of Europe, iDEN of the U.S., etc. has been built for disaster safety communications. In addition, systems useful for demand-centered, site-centered immediate disaster response by using Mobile, SNS, cloud computing, etc. are being built and designed to play an important role in the disaster information system especially through IoT, P2P cloud network, big data, etc. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed the P2P cloud network service for IoT based disaster situations information according to the paradigm of the changing times. The proposed service is to combine IoT/M2M network with P2P cloud service for rapid and smooth response in the event of a disaster and provide the results as social services such as SNS. To this end, the wide area wireless disaster information network system has been built in the local and each local network is connected to each other to provide disaster situations by using the server of the disaster area. At this time, each server was to be interconnected via P2P network and to be connected automatically by software-based network in P2P Cloud System. Also, the cognitive cycle was applied for selecting optimal wireless link and router of P2P Cloud-based Disaster Information Network and the danger situations of the disaster area were to be provided to the user by configuring disaster information component for providing services and building central disaster information platform managing it.

Flood recovery capacities of the manufacturing SMEs from floods: A case study in Pathumthani province, Thailand

Abstract: Recovery from floods is not only related to achieving the state of normalcy but also to pave the way for future development and growth of the business after a devastating impact on business by floods. This study focuses on the flood recovery capacities adopted by the flood affected SMEs in the Pathumthani province of Thailand. Thailand is a middle income country prone to natural hazards with a major risk from the floods. The affected population comprises of all sectors of the society such as business. The SMEs contribute a major share in the GDP of Thailand and are to be protected from the disastrous impacts of the reoccurring floods. This paper analyses the flood recovery strategies adopted by the manufacturing SMEs to recover from the floods in the Pathumthani province in Thailand. It is focused on ascertaining the impacts and coping mechanisms of flood disaster to vulnerable SMEs in the Pathumthani province.

Contextual Enrichment of Remote-Sensed Events with Social Media Streams

Abstract: The availability of satellite images for academic or commercial purpose is increasing rapidly due to efforts made by governmental agencies (NASA, ESA) to publish such data openly or commercial startups (PlanetLabs) to provide real-time satellite data. Beyond many commercial application, satellite data is helpful to create situation awareness in disaster recovery and emergency situations such as wildfires, earthquakes, or flooding. To fully utilize such data sources, we present a scalable system for the contextual enrichment of satellite images by crawling and analyzing multimedia content from social media. This information stream can provide vital information from the ground and help to complement remote sensing in situations. We use Twitter as main data source and analyze its textual, visual, temporal, geographical and social dimensions. Visualizations show different aspects of the event allowing high-level comprehension and provide deeper insights into the event as complemented by social media.

"We Were All in the Same Boat": An Exploratory Study of Communal Coping in Disaster Recovery

Abstract: Disaster recovery is a stressful, uncertain, and traumatic experience for communities. In order to alleviate links between disaster recovery and negative outcomes, collectives may engage in communal coping, an understudied process. We interviewed 37 citizens of a town devastated by Hurricane Ike. Results revealed three communal coping activities: mutuality, a reciprocal pattern of emoting and shared problem recognition; co-construction of a community narrative, or participants relaying the story of the town’s unity and bootstrap mentality; and problem-centered communal coping, which centered on material assistance and information sharing. We propose connections between communal coping, identification, and (community) identity in drawing distinctions between communal coping and social support. The study concludes with practical implications for communities engaged in disaster recovery.

Communication, sense of community, and disaster recovery: a Facebook case study

Abstract: Disasters create an urgent need for people to deal with novel emergent problems. To respond effectively, people require information (about the event, support resources, actions etc.) and the ability to interpret and use available information to deal with diverse, emergent hazard consequences and demands over time. This diversity renders top-down, homogenous approaches to disaster communication ineffective. This paper examines whether a social media-based communication strategy, using Facebook, represents a more effective way of accommodating this diversity (e.g., event impacts, geographical, demographic, social), meeting the information needs of affected populations, and enhancing the quality of disaster communication. Data on how 583 people who used a Facebook page (Tassie Fires - We Can Help) specifically developed to assist response and recovery for the 2011 Tasmanian wildfire/bushfire disaster were obtained using an open-ended questionnaire. The accounts of people’s experience of the event and their engagement with the Facebook page obtained from their responses to the questionnaire were analysed using thematic analysis. The paper also discusses evidence regarding how the development of functional social relationships amongst those who engaged via the page enhanced the effectiveness of the disaster communication process. In particular, it discusses how engagement with the page and the way the page was managed by the Administrator facilitated the development of Sense of Community, a social structural characteristic known to influence the quality of disaster communication. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implication of the findings for future research into the relationship between Facebook use, disaster communication and disaster recovery.

Gendered violence in natural disasters: Learning from New Orleans, Haiti and Christchurch

Abstract: Why are women so vulnerable to violence and death as a result of disaster compared with men? This article investigates how global environmental forces in the form of natural disasters from floods, droughts and famines to earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes affect women and men differently. Disasters are known to have direct and indirect impacts on gender- based violence particularly against women and girls, revealing a pattern of heightened violence and vulnerability in their aftermath. These gendered impacts are directly relevant to social work theory, practice and advocacy, which seek to promote social wellbeing and to prevent violence in homes and communities during and in the aftermath of disasters. The article argues that women's unequal economic and social status relative to men before a disaster strikes determines the extent of their vulnerability to violence during and after a crisis. If gender-based violence and women's particular needs are not addressed in disaster preparedness, disaster recovery plans and humanitarian assistance, then women and girls' vulnerability will increase. The article offers some lessons based on primary research of responses to the 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquakes against the backdrop of what we know about the responses to an earthquake of similar magnitude in Haiti in 2009. It draws implications from this research for social work theory, practice and advocacy, highlighting the importance of ensuring that future disaster planning and decision making is gender-sensitive.

Ensuring Reliable Communication in Disaster Recovery Operations with Reliable Routing Technique

Abstract: The purpose of this research paper is to ensure reliable and continuous communication between the rescue officers and other people during disaster recovery and reconstruction operations. Most of the communication infrastructure gets damaged during the disaster and proper communication cannot be established in the area which leads to longer delays in emergency operations and increased damage to life and property. Various methods proposed to enable communication between the people using wireless ad hoc networks do not guarantee reliable delivery of data with fast moving devices. This paper presents a Reliable Routing Technique (RRT) that ensures reliable data delivery at the destination device even when the people with the mobile devices are moving in the network. We make use of the broadcasting property of the wireless network and create a priority list of probable forwarding candidates at each device. With this technique, RRT ensures that if a forwarder device is unable to forward the data packet due to movement of mobile devices, the next priority candidate forwards the data packet to the destination device, thus ensuring reliability of data delivery in the network. Simulation results show that RRT achieves significant performance improvement with better data delivery in ad hoc networks.

The importance of place in early disaster recovery: a case study of the 2013 Colorado floods

Abstract: Recovery is an important but understudied phase in the disaster management cycle. Researchers have identified numerous socio-demographic factors that help explain differences in recovery among households, but are less clear on the importance of place, which we define as a household's locality and local governance. In this paper, we examine the influence of place on disaster recovery through a study of the 2013 Colorado floods. Our findings are based on data collected from interviews, observation of recovery meetings, and a survey of 96 flood-affected households. We show that place shapes a household's disaster recovery by structuring: (1) physical exposure to hazards; (2) which local government has jurisdiction over recovery decisions; (3) local planning culture and its approach to citizen participation; and (4) the strength of social capital networks. Our findings expand the recovery literature and show that place-level variables should be taken into consideration when conceptualizing household recovery ...

Engaging youth in post-disaster research: Lessons learned from a creative methods approach

Abstract: Children and youth often demonstrate resilience and capacity in the face of disasters. Yet, they are typically not given the opportunities to engage in youth-driven research and lack access to official channels through which to contribute their perspectives to policy and practice during the recovery process. To begin to fill this void in research and action, this multi-site research project engaged youth from disaster-affected communities in Canada and the United States. This article presents a flexible youth-centric workshop methodology that uses participatory and arts-based methods to elicit and explore youth’s disaster and recovery experiences. The opportunities and challenges associated with initiating and maintaining partnerships, reciprocity and youth-adult power differentials using arts-based methods, and sustaining engagement in post-disaster settings, are discussed. Ultimately, this work contributes to further understanding of the methods being used to conduct research for , with , and about youth. Keywords: youth, disaster recovery, engagement, resilience, arts-based methods, participatory research

Engaging the public in planning for disaster recovery

Abstract: Communities engage in various ways with stakeholders around plan development. This project aims to validate quantitative content analysis scores for participation in disaster recovery plans with follow-up key informant interviews. Recovery plans from 87 counties and municipalities adjacent to the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast were collected and content analyzed using a plan coding protocol. Four jurisdictions – two with high and two with low scores in the plan quality principle of participation – were selected for follow-up key informant interviews. Several themes emerged from the qualitative data. Public engagement in recovery planning is more successful when planners actively engage individuals and groups and when dedicated staff are assigned to participation activities. While addressing the needs of socially and physically vulnerable residents can be challenging, there are effective ways of encouraging their participation. While the sample size of this study was small and the findings may not be generalizable to areas outside of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, findings do support the planning research literatures' suggestion that increased participation is associated with higher plan quality. Our findings provide specific examples for planners interested in increasing participation. However, an unanswered question remains as to the extent to which increased engagement in recovery planning will lead to increased stakeholder awareness of risk, available resources, and support for policies that build resilience.

TeamPhone: Networking Smartphones for Disaster Recovery

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate how to network smartphones for providing communications in disaster recovery. By bridging the gaps among different kinds of wireless networks, we have designed and implemented a system called TeamPhone, which provides smartphones the capabilities of communications in disaster recovery. Specifically, TeamPhone consists of two components: a messaging system and a self-rescue system. The messaging system integrates cellular networking, ad-hoc networking and opportunistic networking seamlessly, and enables communications among rescue workers. The self-rescue system groups, schedules and positions the smartphones of trapped survivors. Such a group of smartphones can cooperatively wake up and send out emergency messages in an energy-efficient manner with their location and position information so as to assist rescue operations. We have implemented TeamPhone as a prototype application on the Android platform and deployed it on off-the-shelf smartphones. Experimental results demonstrate that TeamPhone can properly fulfill communication requirements and greatly facilitate rescue operations in disaster recovery.