Non Intrusive Network Performance Evaluation Framework

Mobile adhoc networks (MANETs) exhibit time varying topology due to mobility and absence of a fixed infrastructure. As a result, the wireless links in MANETs are subject to frequent deterioration in quality. MANETs are also susceptible to attacks due to collaboration between nodes to achieve near optimal performance. The performance and security of such networks are of great interest and must be evaluated before deployment. The goal of this SBIR is to design and develop a performance evaluation system for MANETs. The proposed performance evaluation network will measure effectiveness of complex MANETs without causing any intrusion or disruption to their operation. We propose a completely novel performance measurement network to monitor data-communication network thru packet sniffing. A flexible architecture is proposed in which both wired or wireless interfaces can be used. A distributed approach is proposed that collects and analyzes data at measurement nodes. We also propose a database synchronization approach using which terabytes of data collected during network monitoring can be transmitted and collected at a centralized control center for off line or near real-time analysis. We have included multiple approaches that can be used to measure the network effectiveness in terms of topology/routing protocols, security and reliability.