A virtualised routing protocol for improving network lifetime in cluster based sensor networks

Al-Nuaimi, RSA

Abstract

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), enhancing network lifetime is one of the critical challenges that should be considered during the network design. Sensor nodes exhaust their power in various activities such as sensing, processing and communication that represents the most energy-consuming and therefore should be managed to improve the network lifetime.

The clustering has a significant task on network lifetime because sensor nodes consume a considerable amount of energy during the transmission and receiving in order to perform the clustering function stages. Clustering is the process of grouping sensor nodes into groups that are administered by a node known as a cluster head (CH). The main stages of this function are the setup stage, responsible for the cluster formation and cluster head selection, and the steady state stage (data transmission). By managing and reducing the number and amounts of communications as well as computation during these stages efficiently, will affect the nodes’ energy consumption and enhance network lifetime.

The aim of this thesis is to improve the network lifetime by virtualising the clustering function to be implemented into high-volume central server on the cloud as well as using efficient approaches in cluster formation (based on k-means algorithm) and in cluster head selection (based on current nodes energy level and their distance to sink). These processes will result in a reduction in the number and amount of communication messages and the computational needs for each node during clusters formation and cluster head selection, thus improving the network’s lifetime. Hence, a new virtualised clustering routing protocol based on Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) has been proposed. NFV is a new network virtualisation approach that helps to minimise the design requirements in terms of hardware, power and space. The new approach uses a mathematical model which has been developed in this work to estimate the energy consumed during the operation of the proposed protocol.

The analysis of the proposed protocol that is based on the Matlab2016a simulator showed that by utilizing the approach of the cloud computing and enables a NFV server to manage and control the network as well as use efficient approaches in cluster head selection and cluster formation, will lead to improve the network lifetime. The results regarding First Node Dead (FND) showed that the new protocol the existing clustering protocols and the network lifetime improved to double.

Citation

Al-Nuaimi, R. (in press). A virtualised routing protocol for improving network lifetime in cluster based sensor networks. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Acceptance Date: Mar 19, 2023
• Deposit Date: Feb 21, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 21, 2018