CAREER: Automating Wireless Network Management: Lessons from Managing Wireless LANs and Sensor Networks

无线网络，凭借其不受限制的特性，易于设置和移动支持，已经热烈欢迎进入我们的日常工作和生活。无线网络的持续成功和更广泛部署的关键是这些网络的自动管理。本研究的目的是探讨无线网络故障管理的两个基本问题：(1)什么是合适的管理架构，需要收集哪些数据/测量来进行有效的管理？(2)哪些技术适合进行故障管理？值得关注的是，本研究主要考察两个极端？无线网络的形式——无线局域网（wlan）和传感器网络。更具体地说，它提出了一种新的管理体系结构，并开发了一系列wlan故障管理技术。它还分别为静态和移动传感器网络开发了一套诊断工具。各种管理任务的技术利用统计分析、优化、随机建模和机器学习技术，并将使用分析、模拟和实验相结合的方法进行评估。虽然必须关注无线网络管理大领域中的子空间，但通过综合从该子空间中吸取的经验教训，该项目旨在提供对无线网络管理的总体见解。该项目的成果将极大地推动无线网络管理的最新发展，潜在地影响我们日常生活的许多方面。教育计划包括开设一门无线局域网的本科生实验课程和一门无线网络测量与推理的研究生课程。

Wireless networks, by virtue of their untethered nature, ease of set-up, and mobility support, have been heartily welcomed into our daily work and lives. Crucial to the continuing success and even wider deployment of wireless networks is automatic management of these networks. The goal of this research is to investigate two fundamental questions of fault management in wireless networks: (1) What are suitable management architectures and what data/measurements need to be collected for effective management? (2) What are suitable techniques for fault management? To be focused, this research mainly investigates two ?extreme? forms of wireless networks -- wireless LANs (WLANs) and sensor networks. More specifically, it proposes a novel management architecture and develops a series of fault management techniques for WLANs. It also develops a suite of diagnostic tools for static and mobile sensor networks, respectively. The techniques for the various management tasks utilize statistical analysis, optimization, stochastic modeling, and machine learning techniques, and will be evaluated using a combination of analysis, simulation and experiments. Although necessarily focused on a subspace in the large realm of wireless network management, by synthesizing lessons learned from this subspace, this project aims to provide insights into wireless network management in general.The outcome of this project will greatly advance the state of the art in wireless network management, potentially impacting many aspects of our daily lives. The education plan includes developing one undergraduate lab course on WLANs, and one graduate-level course on wireless network measurement and inference.