Implementation and Evaluation of a Prototype for Path Selection within Heterogeneous Networks

Kurzbeschreibung

Emerging applications in heterogeneous home networks have a high data rate demand. The meshed topology of a home network allows choosing alternative paths for a quality of service flow. The establishment and release of flows creates a dynamic environment in which the optimal flow/path combination might require re-selection of paths. Today’s homes are equipped with a multitude of devices using several wired or wireless communication technologies forming a heterogeneous, meshed home network. A common set of layer 2 (L2) technologies found in homes contains Wireless Local Area Networks, Ethernet cables, and Powerline adapters whereas Plastic Optical Fiber (POF), and 60GHz technologies are emerging as well. Furthermore future HNs are hybrid mesh networks which combine infrastructure and client meshing and have at least a single point of connection to the Internet, called the home gateway (HG). Communication from and to the Internet goes through this HG. In case that data is exchanged between two clients of the bridged L2 HN the communication is peer to peer (P2P) and data packets usually must not be routed via the HG. One task is to develop appropriate communication protocols and common control functions for elements in such networks. One of today’s challenges is to provide service continuity in those highly heterogeneous networks. The service continuity can be measured in terms of a satisfied user criteria, which consists e.g. of the perceived end to end data packet delay, i.e. transport layer packet delay. The FP7 European Project OMEGA investigates the performance of Gigabit home networks. In this work the implementation of an appropriate path selection algorithm should start by examining current state of the art standards, e.g. IEEE 802.11s HWMP, as well as relevant research projects like OMEGA. An object oriented analysis of the main functionality shall be performed. The required functionality shall be implemented in a demonstrator which will support the studies within the Omega project. The demonstrator is a network consisting of at least three computers with Gigabit Ethernet links. Channel modeling of the different layer 2 technologies should be done using a wireless network emulator. This shall enable the evaluation of the path selection for at least two OMEGA technologies and three Omega devices. The evaluation should regard Quality of Service (QoS) parameters like packet delay, jitter, throughput, and interruption time of multimedia sessions. The following work items shall be handled: - Describe the scenario used for demonstration - Review of state of the art path selection protocols, e.g. IEEE 802.11s HWMP, AODVQOS - Provide a description of a concept that supports QoS aware path selection in heterogeneous home networks - Proof of Concept: Implementation of a path selection algorithm in a Linux demonstrator using C/C++ - Provide a description of the demonstrator - Evaluation of the algorithm using different link metrics and multimedia streams - Evaluation should use link layer emulation to model different technologies - Description of the obtained results - Final presentation (two intermediate presentations)

Betreuer:	Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Jennen  jen@comnets.rwth-aachen.de Tel:+49 241 80 27919, Raum110 Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Jennen  jen@comnets.rwth-aachen.de Tel:+49 241 80 27919, Raum110
Status:	vergeben

Letzte Änderung: 23-10-09