Network Planning and Real-time Automated Management System (NetPARAMS)

Mobile ad-hoc networking is a technology that offers great value to warfighters. It promises self-forming, self-healing distributed networking ideally suited to the constantly changing environments of the battlefield. However, the reality of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) has yet to come level with the promises. Military network planning does not yet enable planners to use MANETs as a connectivity extender, and to date MANETs are not reliable enough in either connectivity or throughput to reliably carry mission-critical information for the military. Given MANET’s mobile nature, it is necessary that MANETs evolve from self-forming to self-managed networks so as to help relieve planning requirements. The idea behind self-management is that MANET nodes collaborate to optimize their own routing and quality of service. In this effort, tools will be created to move MANETs close to self-managed networks and provide network monitoring and management that covers network from the wireline to the wireless. Algorithms will be generated and simulated to improve MANET connectivity and QoS. A planning tool will be created to help network planners use MANETs, and existing network management software will be modified to provide wireline and MANET monitoring and management.