Adrian Granados

Integrated information and network management for end-to-end Quality of Service

Publish-subscribe-based Information Management (IM) services provide a key enabling technology for net-centric operations. This paper describes technology for Quality of Service (QoS) and Internet-Protocol-based Airborne Networking features for IM services. Enhancing IM services with airborne networking features improves effectiveness in combined tactical and enterprise networks with mobile airborne and ground-based embedded platforms interacting with enterprise systems in command and control operations.

A cross-layer communications substrate for tactical Information Management Systems

In this paper we introduce XLayer, a cross-layer communications substrate for tactical Information Management Systems which enable nodes on a radio network to seamlessly communicate with nodes on different heterogeneous networks. While conventional cross-layer strategies for tactical environments tend to focus on the localized optimization between neighbor layers of the communications stack, our approach focuses on the interface between middleware and the underlying communications infrastructure. The XLayer communications substrate leverages native information and services available at the tactical communications infrastructure to improve the functionally and capabilities of overlay applications and middleware. The XLayer also provides the necessary interfaces and mechanisms to enable application-driven requirements to parameterize and regulate the operation of the underlying communications infrastructure. After a brief description of the target environment and system requirements we will introduce the proposed design for the cross-layer communications substrate, highlighting specialized controllers and adaptors for communication interfaces and tactical radios. We will then introduce new cross-layer strategies for discovery, routing and transport targeted to Information Management System (IMS)-support, followed by our NS-2 simulation results, analysis, and conclusions.

Investigating the Use of Topology Adaptation for Robust Multi-path Transport: A Preliminary Study

In this paper we introduce a topology control algorithm for increasing transport robustness and efficiency by creating two simultaneous communication paths between the source and destination nodes of a data flow. We make use of a cross-layer substrate that allows us to detect the flows of data in the network while also providing finer control of the routing. Because information of flow traffic in the network is available, the algorithm attempts to achieve intra-flow interference reduction by exploiting node mobility.

A cross-layer approach to mixed-control topology management for MANETs

Topology Control (TC) algorithms are generally applied to tactical network environments to create or maintain connectivity graphs with specific topological properties. In the context of this work, network topology defines the connectivity and link properties between nodes in the network. While protocols in the communications stack are traditionally designed to adapt to different traffic demands and underlying changes in network topology, TC algorithms offer an opportunity for applications to become proactive, and to drive changes in network topology. In most cases, topology control is achieved through a number of independent control strategies such as power management, node mobility or spectrum allocation, each of which operates at a different time scale, with different constraints and capabilities. In this work we introduce a mixed topology control strategy for highly dynamic tactical networks. The proposed approach combines two controllers (one for transmit power and one for node mobility) to enable a self-regulating link maintenance algorithm that compensates for short term variations in link conditions while supporting a more permanent, slower adaptation based on node position. While applied for transmit power and node mobility in this paper, the approach is generic enough to be extended to different parameters. After describing the control formulation and its stability analysis, we introduce simple leader-follower scenarios simulated in NS-3 to illustrate the capabilities and properties of the proposed approach.

The mLab-PENGWUN hybrid emulation environment for airborne networks

In this paper we introduce a hybrid emulation infrastructure that combines theoretical path loss models with data-driven statistical link models. The goal is to provide a specialized emulation environment for the development and validation of airborne networking protocols, in support of the AFRLs PENGWUN research effort. After a brief discussion of our architecture design and policy enforcement mechanisms, we discuss our approach for data-driven link emulation for airborne networks.

Adaptive Resource Management Enabling Deception (ARMED)

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks routinely disrupt access to critical services. Mitigation of these attacks often relies on planned over-provisioning or elastic provisioning of resources, and third-party monitoring, analysis, and scrubbing of network traffic. While volumetric attacks which saturate a victims network are most common, non-volumetric, low and slow, DDoS attacks can achieve their goals without requiring high traffic volume by targeting vulnerable network protocols or protocol implementations. Non-volumetric attacks, unlike their noisy counterparts, require more sophisticated detection mechanisms, and typically have only post-facto and targeted protocol/application mitigations. In this paper, we introduce our work under the Adaptive Resource Management Enabling Deception (ARMED) effort, which is developing a network-level approach to automatically mitigate sophisticated DDoS attacks through deception-focused adaptive maneuvering. We describe the concept, implementation, and initial evaluation of the ARMED Network Actors (ANAs) that facilitate transparent interception, sensing, analysis, and mounting of adaptive responses that can disrupt the adversarys decision process.

RF-based Monitoring, Sensing and Localization of Mobile Wireless Nodes

Spectrum sensing and characterization play a very important role in the implementation of cognitive radios and adaptive mobile wireless networks. Most practical mobile network deployments require some level of sensing and adaptation to allow individual nodes to learn and reconfigure based on observations from their own environment. Spectrum sensing can be used for detection of a transmitter in a specific band, which can help cognitive radios to detect spectrum holes for secondary users and to determine the presence of a transmitter in a given area. In addition to determining the existence of a transmitter, information obtained from spectrum sensing can be used to localize a transmitter. In this paper, we focus in oner particular aspect o that problem: the distributed and collaborative sensing, characterization and location of emitters in an open environment. Thus, we propose a software defined radio (SDR)-based spectrum sensing and localization method. The proposed approach uses energy detection for spectrum sensing and fingerprinting techniques for estimating the location of the transmitter. A Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) managed via a small, low-cost computer is used for spectrum sensing. Results obtained from an indoor experimental setup and the K-nearest neighbor algorithm for the fingerprinting based localization are presented in this paper.

Dynamic gateway selection for cross-domain routing with the XLayer communications substrate

This paper describes a dynamic gateway selection algorithm for cross-domain routing. The proposed cross-layer algorithm is designed on top of the XLayer communications substrate. In the context of this work, cross-domain routing refers to seamlessly routing across different networks running different routing algorithms without pre-defined gateways or a common underlaying protocol. We first provide a brief introduction of the XLayer communications substrate and the adaptive routing controller. After describing the algorithm and a summary of the proposed architecture, a proof-of-concept implementation is evaluated for a simple scenario developed in NS-2. Our preliminary results are encouraging and show the potential of our proposed strategy for dynamic gateway selection and cross-domain routing.