Integrated Resource Management for Real-time Multimedia Communications in Highly Mobile Networks.

"We propose to develop integrated resource management models and a prototype tool for supporting real-time multimedia communications in highly mobile networks. The network is configured as a scalable hierarchical UV-aided Mobile Backbone Network based adhoc wireless network. In Phase I, we will develop the network integrated resource management structure and performance models, characterize the monitoring functions, identify the network and MAC layer algorithms to be employed in each Access and BackboneNet. Models will be developed to determine the allocation of network assets in response to dynamic occurrences of key change events, to meet mission and flow quality-of-service performance objectives on a priority oriented basis. To include the impact onthe communications traffic imposed by other key assets, we will also develop models for characterizing the performance of spatially distributed sensing and navigation/timing functions, in terms of the underlying available communications networkingresources. The integrated network resource management models developed in Phase I, will be implemented in Phase II as software agents embedded in network management and control nodes as well as a resource management tool that produces performancetradeoff and resource assignment results in realtime. Next generation highly mobile UV aided communications networks will employ a dynamically configurable structure, utilizing ground based and airborne unmanned vehicles. They must support the transportof mission induced realtime multimedia streams. We propose a scalable and manageable architecture that will provide for the implementation of such networks, based on our recently developed mobile backbone network concepts. Since the underlying missionand operational environment is continuously changing, it is essential that a resource management tool is employed to allocate in realtime system and network resources. This tool must integrate the impacts of multiple asset classes on the communicationnetwork resource assignment process. There are no c