Ali Hammad Akbar

Network Assisted Mobility Support for 6LoWPAN

This paper presents a network-assisted mobility support scheme for 6LoWPAN nodes, which enables multi-hop communication between the Gateway (GW) and the Mobile 6LoWPAN devices (MNs), with minimum mobility related signaling at the MNs end as compared to conventional mobility related protocols like MIPv6. The scheme provides mobility support to the MNs with the help of low cost static 6LoWPAN devices (SNs) which can be deployed in large numbers. In order to reduce the handover latency, the MN in the proposed scheme is assigned a fixed address which remains unchanged during its course of movement within the network. Moreover the scheme aims to reduce packets loss of the MN by predicting its future location and having a provision of buffering its packet at SNs when needed. The signaling overhead consumption needed to support a MN is determined through analytical modeling.

LNMP- Management architecture for IPv6 based low-power wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN)

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are becoming increasingly important because of their reduced cost and a range of real world military applications. IP connectivity to WSNs has enabled ubiquity of devices. 6LoWPAN networks are the realization of these IP based Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (IP-USNs). Management of such low power and constrained networks is a crucial problem. In this paper we propose LoWPAN Network Management Protocol (LNMP) which is the management architecture for 6LoWPAN based WSNs. We present operational and informational architectures for 6LoWPAN. Moreover, we also propose the design of the management information base for the management of such networks.

Energy-aware and bandwidth-efficient mobility architecture for 6LoWPAN

This paper proposes an energy aware and bandwidth efficient mobility support architecture which handles mobility of 6LoWPAN devices, such that the communication between it and its corresponding nodes remain undisrupted. As the 6LoWPAN devices are energy and resource constrained enabling mobility in these devices with the help of conventional host based protocols like MIPv6 is not suitable. Moreover, it may be possible in many scenarios that the mobile node (MN) moves far from the gateway (GW), while communicating with it. In this case the MN has to increase its transmission power, which may adversely affect its life time. In the proposed architecture static random deployed 6LoWPAN devices (SN) with same characteristics as the MNs, facilitate mobility such that the IP connectivity of the MN is maintained with minimum signaling at MNpsilas end. Thus this paper describes the link layer specific mechanisms needed between the SN and the MN to help it perform multi-hop communication with the GW. Moreover, it is designed keeping in mind the energy and resource constraint nature of SNs themselves. The signaling overhead for the SNs is determined through analytical modeling.

Binding multiple applications on wireless sensor networks

Multiple applications can be invoked simultaneously on single sensor network through pre-emptive or late binding. Triggering multiple applications on sensor networks at a post-deployment stage results into complex interactions between them. In this paper, we discuss considerations for multiservice sensor networks such as resource allocation and energy conservation. First, we identify the uniqueness of node selection strategies for such multi-service sensor networks. Second, we discuss their effects on network usability and longevity. We present a holistic nodes election protocol for such networks. Simulation results show increased longevity of networks when our protocol is implemented on the network.

A Yaw Rate Aware Sensor Wakeup Protocol (YAP) for Target Prediction and Tracking in Sensor Networks

Target tracking is one of the key military applications of wireless sensor networks (WSN). The overall procedure involves target detection, localization, and target tracking. Because of the WSNs resource (especially energy) constraints, it is desired that target tracking could be done by involving as less number of sensor nodes as possible. Due to the uncertain behavior of the target, this goal is hard to achieve without predicting future target location, so that only selected sensors are activated before the target reaches a future location. This prior activation contributes to increase the overall lifetime of sensor networks. In this paper, a yaw aware sensor wakeup protocol (YAP) is proposed for prediction of future target location. The algorithm is distributive in nature and selects appropriate sensors to determine the target track, such that target track is obtained even if the predicted location differs from the actual one. The performance of YAP is also discussed on different target tracks, which confirms the efficacy of the algorithm.

GARPAN: gateway-assisted Inter-PAN routing for 6LoWPANs

IEEE802.15.4 devices are all geared up for deployment as sensor net-orks that are ubiquitous yet cost effective. An emphasis on keeping costs down results into sensor networks that do not warrant high connectivity, thereby making routing a more crucial activity. In the purview of routing, ZigBee consortium has developed a PAN routing protocol. Other notable efforts are underway chartered by IETF as 6LoWPAN working group. In this paper, we have revisited the routing approaches suggested both for intra-PAN and mesh. Our contribution here is first to identify the plausibility of using gateways in routing functionality in 6LoWPAN networks. Second, we propose a protocol that defines the role of gateways for enhancing the routability of 6LoWPANs. Through NS2-based simulation study, our performance analysis amenably supports the applicability of our protocol.

HYWINMARC: an autonomic management architecture for hybrid wireless networks

The envisioned realization of ubiquity has resulted into the emergence of new kinds of the hybrid networks. The modern hybrid networks, e.g. combination of wireless mesh and Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs), help realize ubiquity through spontaneous networking. The network management for these hybrid networks is different from conventional and infrastructure based network management. Heterogeneity, mobility, dynamic topologies, physical security, and survivability make the challenge hard. A new class of management called self-management can effectively be used to cater for the autonomous behavior of hybrid networks. We present HYbrid WIreless Network Management ARChitecture (HYWINMARC), a three-tier framework, covering all the management levels, for autonomic network management for hybrid networks. We integrate policy-based network management with mobile-agent technology and design a prototype for a context-aware and self-managing architecture. The context information is collected, from all levels in network hierarchy through monitoring agents, and is used to apply needed self-management operations that include self-optimization, self-healing, self-configuration, and self-growing.

A proxy-enabled service discovery architecture to find proximity-based services in 6LoWPAN

Recent advances in wireless communication and sensor and actuator technologies have played an essential role to realize the envisioned ubiquitous world. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have emerged as a great catalyst for morphing personal area networks (PANs) into low power personal area networks (LoWPANs) which itself is a channel to achieve higher degrees of ubiquity and pervasiveness. These LoWPANs need to be connected with other wireless and wired networks in order to maximize the utilization of information and other resources which are mainly associated with the IP networks. Interworking of LoWPANs with IP networks brings in many challenges for service discovery and network selection. A great problem in this scenario is to find and use services in the closest proximity of the user. In this paper we propose novel service discovery architecture and algorithms that help proximity based service discovery and network selection within an IP network and LoWPAN interworked environment. The results show that our architecture helps finding and using the closest services from inside as well as outside the LoWPAN. It also reduces the traffic overhead for service discovery considerably as compared to other protocols.

Collaborative Detection and Agreement Protocol for Routing Malfunctioning in Wireless Sensor Networks

Routing is one of the most important activities performed in a sensor network. Routing nodes can behave either maliciously or may malfunction due to failed system components, affecting the overall network throughput adversely. In this paper, a distributed cooperative routing failure detection mechanism is introduced. The neighbors of a suspected node collaborate with each other to generate consensus about the misbehaving node. A logical tree is formed among the peer nodes to avoid messaging overhead and to allow the final consensus to be notified to every neighbor of the suspect. A simple algorithm for consensus is then presented; every neighbor considers a decision factor for every other neighbor in order to generate a unified agreement about the node under suspicion. We analyze and show that our approach performs better for energy conservation and node lifetime better than previously reported flooding schemes

Key Management Scheme for Sensor Networks with Proactive Key Revocation and Sleep State Consideration

In dynamic key management systems, while frequent control messaging may be necessary for robustness of security, it is detrimental to energy resources of wireless sensor networks. The problem is further exacerbated for sleep enabled sensor networks as a) malicious nodes penetrate into a network by spoofing the IDs of legitimate nodes that are in sleeping state b) it is possible for legitimate sensor nodes to be entirely compromised. In this paper, the above mentioned aspects of keying are addressed as tierce to optimize communication. First a secure key generation mechanism is presented that aims at optimizing communication. Second, a sleep schedule cognizant protocol is presented to prevent ID spoofing of sleeping nodes. Third, a post attack mechanism is proposed to prevent the compromised nodes to join the network. Our threesome solution not only saves energy by minimizing the communication overhead in establishing keys among sensor nodes but also provides high but secure connectivity for sleep state nodes.