This proposal seeks supplemental funding to a current NSF project entitled Collaborative: A Hybrid Systems Framework for Scalable Analysis and Design of Communication Networks, Grant No.~0322476.
This additional funding will allow the principal investigators (PIs) to expand the scope of on ongoing project toward new directions namely, heterogeneous networks that include significant wireless access components connected to a wired backbone infrastructure. The PIs anticipate that the hybrid systems methodology developed will likely have significant impact on modeling, simulating, evaluating, and developing protocols for next-generation heterogeneous internetworks.
Intellectual merit: The research proposed will produce the scientific foundation for a scalable methodology to study heterogeneous data communication networks. In particular, the project will address the: 1) Development of multi-resolution models for large-scale, heterogeneous communication networks based on a hybrid systems formalism. Multi-resolution is achieved by varying the amount of aggregation enforced and provides the scalability needed to study large-scale, wireless networks. 2) Development of model-based tools for formal analysis of data communication networks, and in particular, for evaluating and tuning network protocols.
The proposers form a multi-disciplinary, multi-university research group with backgrounds in Computer Networks and the Internet (K. Obraczka, UCSC); Computer Networks and Modeling and Simulation (S. Bohacek, UD); and Control Theory and Hybrid Systems (J. Hespanha, UCSB). They have a long history of past collaboration, including joint co-advising of graduate students. In particular, Junsoo Lee, the postdoc to be supported under this supplement, was co-advised by the PIs. This supplement will support Dr. Lee working with and visiting Bell Labs researchers Marina Thottan and Wonsuck Lee who are interested in collaboration so as to adapt the hybrid systems methodology to meet the future needs of Bell Labs and the networking industry.
Broader impacts: This effort will extend the hybrid systems-based simulation tools that were developed under the main part of this effort to networks that include a significant wireless component. These tools will aid the deployment and analysis of next generation networks. This project also has a significant educational component with two main goals: 1) Disseminate to the student population of UCSC, UCSB, and UD the state-of-the-art in network modeling, analysis, and design, in general, and in the research achievements of this project in particular. 2) Attract to this area of research some of the brightest undergraduate students and encourage them to develop the rigorous and analytical thinking required for success in scientific research and also in a professional engineering career. All the results, including papers, reports, and software will be made available freely to the research and industry communities through the World Wide Web. The course materials (including lecturenotes, homeworks, and projects) will also be freely available to the academic community via the Web.
