A CONTEXT MODEL FOR AUTONOMIC MANAGEMENT OF AD-HOC NETWORKS

Management of next generation networks is challenging due to increased complexity imposed by their dynamic and heterogeneous characteristics. The deployment of mesh wireless networking topologies, the support of diverse networking functionalities and the existence of large number of heterogeneous devices make traditional approaches inappropriate. In such environments, the description of the basic networking entities and the interactions that are present, as well as the relationships among them, is crucial. Proper representation may facilitate the operation and management of the network, as well as the optimal adaptation to the current environmental conditions, and thus, optimise the performance of the network mechanisms. In this paper, a context model is proposed for ad-hoc networks aiming to present in detail the correlation among the network entities and interactions in dynamic environments. Specific functionalities that may be designed taking in account the description of the context model are described and indicative implementation scenarios are implemented and evaluated.