A Practical Framework to Enable the Self-Management of Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) form the underlying networking paradigm upon which pervasive and ubiquitous environments are founded. Combined with the growing need for mobility and flexibility in network infrastructures, the prominence and endurance of MANETs as a networking trend becomes evident. The main characteristics of MANETs include energy and bandwidth constraints, dynamic topologies and platform heterogeneity. Traditional network management principles and approaches are not applicable to MANETs, while on the other hand self-management principles are eminently suitable given the dynamic nature of MANETs. In this paper we propose, implement and evaluate a framework to enable self-management of MANETs built on an adaptive organizational model. We present the design of our proposed framework and we elaborate on the context-driven self-management cycle. We also present its evaluation through practical experiments using management case-studies.