Menu

Mobile Computing & Networking Research


The Mobile and Pervasive Computing Lab is focused on systems research and experimental aspects of Mobile Computing, emphasizing Mobile Computing Models, Mobile Data Access, Mobile Networking, and Power-Aware Mobile Computing. Individual projects are listed below.



Mobile Database Design, Access, & Transactions ❯ Mobile Database: Design, Management and Performance

Overview

We view a mobile database as the union of a distributed database, a disconnected database, an ad-hoc database and a database disseminated through a broadcast disk. A distributed database is a mobile database accessed by stationary users, while disconnected, ad-hoc and broadcast dislks are mobile databases accessed by mobile users exhibiting varying levels of mobility and disconnection. A mobile database is therefore required to be adaptive and capable of morphing from one form to another. How can we achieve this agile adaptability? How can parts of a distributed database dynamically slef-adapts to become an ad-hoc database (such as in Bayou) or a broadcast disk? We believe that traditional database design techniques arestatic and inadequate to be used in mobile environments. In this research, we investigate new architectures, concepts and protocols for databases that understand mobility and support mobile user access.

Objective

The overall self describing sensor network approach is based on the need to provide a scalable, plug and play, smart sensor network that is more flexible and maintainable. The approach leverages both mature and new technologies and standards to develop the system architecture composed of the sensor platform architecture, sensor network hierarchy, and associated software framework. The main approach consists of empowering the sensor network by using surrogate code located on the sensor node to allow interpretation of the data and sensor node control. Our sensor network hardware platform includes RF communications, EEPROM for data storage, EEPROM for surrogate storage, and microprocessor for communication and data manipulation.

People

Dr. Sumi Helal
Yanli Xia

Publications

  • Yanli Xia and Abdelsalam (Sumi) Helal, "A Dynamic Data/Currency Protocol for Mobile Database Design and Reconfiguration," Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (SAC), Melbourne, Florida, March 2003 (pdf).