NRT: Scalable Testbed for Next-Generation Mobile Wireless Networking Technologies

原因：下一代移动的无线网络技术的可扩展测试平台下一代无线通信技术很可能依赖于从应用层向下扩展到物理设备的跨层交互。本计画提出设计与开发一个无线混合网路的实验平台WHYNET，以协助详细研究异质无线系统中的交互及其对应用层级效能的影响。这个测试平台的最终技术影响将是重新定义如何在无线通信技术的具体创新被评估方面的潜力，以提高应用级性能，以及如何替代方法进行比较。其更广泛的影响将是通过提供一个多学科的“动手”环境来补充纯理论的课堂培训，从而重新定义如何对学生进行无线技术培训。WHYNET被设想为一个混合测试平台，将物理测试的真实性与模拟的可扩展性和灵活性相结合。该混合测试平台将是一个网络化的联盟，由地理上分布的异构无线物理测试平台组成，具有多个协议栈（CDMA 2000蜂窝和IP），下一代物理技术，包括UWB（超宽带），MIMO（多输入，多输出）和SDR（软件定义无线电），以及并行分布式多工具仿真框架。除了提供一个更准确的灵活的评估框架，混合测试床将促进从一个抽象的仿真模型到一个单一的框架内的操作实现平稳过渡。例如，协议原型可以与模拟的低层进行通信以获得可重复的结果，或者接收和处理可变速率的真实的多媒体应用输入以进行感知评估。一旦物理硬件设备准备好进行测试，目标网络系统的一部分可以配置真实的设备，而网络的其余部分仍然可以驻留在模拟的硬件域中。这项工作还将产生一个无线网络方案，测量，模型和实施的知识库。一组有代表性的研究将被用来证明的独特贡献ofWHYNET跨层优化研究，特别是一般的移动的无线网络。这些包括传感器网络、能量感知网络、用于多路访问网络的协议中间件以及自适应传输和安全协议。该试验台本身将通过一个基于网络的机制，将允许远程上传的模型，实现和configuration.The拟议中的研究将有可能在两个方面产生更广泛的影响：未来一代的无线工程师和无线技术标准的培训。无线工程师将需要显著的技术深度，以促进快速发展的技术和显著的技术广度，以了解如何将这项技术融入市场驱动的经济。后一类要求工程师在系统方面受过培训，对无线通信系统各层之间的权衡和交互有深入的了解。目前的课程结构不是为了培养第二类训练有素的工程师而设计的。项目团队强烈地感觉到，广泛的系统培训只能在i.动手实验课程或项目中完成，在这些课程或项目中，学生看到涉及真实的系统设计的权衡。拟议的试验平台可以使这些类型的课程在整个课程。即使今天的无线是一个垂直的技术，4-5年后，最有趣和最具挑战性的问题将是那些与无线系统，所以我们相信，一个跨学科的，但紧密结合的工程计划，如我们是非常适合未来的无线工程师的培训。通过提供一个可扩展的平台、方法和工具来支持对协议和技术替代方案的客观和准确的评估，我们希望测试床也将在IETF和相关机构的标准活动中发挥重要作用。团队成员在物理和模拟试验台（Bagrodia、Gerla、Rao、Takai）的设计和管理、新型无线电技术（Daneshrad、Fitz、Mitra）的开发、无线系统（Mitra、Rao、Srivastava）、协议设计（Gerla、Krishnamurthy、Mohapatra、Royer、Shen、Srivastava、Tripathi）和性能评估（Bagrodia、Gerla、Molle、Rao、Tripathi）方面具有丰富的专业知识。许多PI在以前的合作项目中成功地合作过。我们还得到了许多在这一领域发挥关键作用的公司的大力支持，包括微软、HughesResearch Laboratories（现为波音公司的一部分）、ST Electronics、惠普、爱立信、英特尔和Xtreme Spectrum。

WHYNET: Scalable Testbed for Next Generation Mobile Wireless Networking TechnologiesThe next generation of wireless communication technology is likely to rely on cross-layer interactionsthat extend from the application layer down to the physical devices. This project proposes to design anddevelop WHYNET, a Wireless HYbrid NETwork testbed to facilitate detailed study of such interactions andtheir impact on application level performance in heterogeneous wireless systems. The eventual technicalimpact of this testbed will be to redefine how specific innovations in wireless communication technologies areevaluated in terms of their potential to improve application-level performance as well as how alternativeapproaches are compared with each other. Its broader impact will be to redefine how students are trained inwireless technologies by providing a multi-disciplinary 'hands on' environment to complement purelytheoretical classroom training.WHYNET is envisaged as a hybrid testbed that combines the realism of physical testing with thescalability and flexibility of simulations. The hybrid testbed will be a networked federation of geographicallydistributed, heterogeneous wireless physical testbeds with multiple protocol stacks (CDMA 2000 cellular and IP), next generation physical technologies including UWB (Ultra Wide Band), MIMO (Multiple Inputs,Multiple Outputs) and SDR (Software Defined Radios), and a parallel & distributed multi-tool simulationframework. Beyond providing a more accurate & flexible evaluation framework, the hybrid testbed willfacilitate a smooth transition from an abstract simulation model to an operational implementation within asingle framework. For instance, protocol prototypes can communicate with simulated lower layers forrepeatable results, or receive and process variable rate real multimedia application inputs for perceptualevaluation. Once the physical hardware devices are ready for testing, a portion of the target network systemcan be configured with real devices while the rest of the network can still reside in the simulated hardwaredomain. The effort will also generate a repository of wireless networking scenarios, measurements, modelsand implementations. A representative set of studies will be used to demonstrate the unique contributions ofWHYNET for cross-layer optimization studies in particular, and mobile wireless networking in general. These include sensor networks, energy-aware networking, protocols & middleware for multi-access networking, and adaptive transport and security protocols. The testbed itself will be accessible by the research community via a web-based mechanism that will allow remote uploading of models, implementations, and configurations.The proposed research is likely to have a broader impact on two fronts: the training of future generationof wireless engineers and wireless technology standards. Wireless engineers will need significant technicaldepth to contribute to a rapidly developing technology and significant technical breadth to understand how thistechnology fits into a market driven economy. The latter category requires engineers who are trained ininsystemslt aspects with an in-depth understanding of trade-offs and interactions across layers of a wirelesscommunication system. The current course structure is not designed to produce well-trained engineers of thesecond type. The project team feels strongly that broad systems training can only be accomplished in i.hands-onlo experimental courses or projects where the students see the tradeoffs involved in real system design. The proposed testbed can enable these types of courses across the curriculum. Even though today wireless is avertical technology, 4-5 years from now, the most interesting and challenging problems will be those related to wireless systems, so we believe that an inter-disciplinary yet closely-knit engineering program such as ours is well suited for the training of wireless engineer of tomorrow. By providing a scalable platform, methodology, and tools to support objective and accurate evaluation of protocol and technology alternatives, we expect that the testbed will also play an important role in shaping standards activity in IETF and related bodies.A multi-disciplinary, multi-institution team has been formed to achieve the ambitious objectives of theWHYNET project. The team members have substantial expertise in design and management of physical andsimulation testbeds (Bagrodia, Gerla, Rao, Takai), development of novel radio technology (Daneshrad, Fitz,Mitra), wireless systems (Mitra, Rao, Srivastava), protocol design (Gerla, Krishnamurthy, Mohapatra, Royer, Shen, Srivastava, Tripathi) and performance evaluation (Bagrodia, Gerla, Molle, Rao, Tripathi). Many of thePIs have successfully worked together on previous collaborative projects. We have also received strong support from a number of companies that play a critical role in this space including Microsoft, HughesResearch Laboratories (now part of Boeing), ST Electronics, HP, Ericsson, Intel, and Xtreme Spectrum.