Modeling and Optimization of Parallel and Distributed Embedded Systems

Chapter 8An MDP-Based Dynamic Optimization Methodology for Embedded Wireless Sensor Networks^*

Embedded wireless sensor networks (EWSNs) are distributed systems consisting of spatially distributed autonomous sensor nodes that span diverse application domains. The EWSN application domains include security and defense systems, industrial monitoring, building automation, logistics, ecology, environment and ambient conditions monitoring, healthcare, home and office applications, vehicle tracking, and so on. However, this wide application diversity combined with increasing embedded sensor nodes complexity, functionality requirements, and highly constrained operating environments makes EWSN design very challenging.

One critical EWSN design challenge involves meeting application requirements such as reliability, lifetime, throughput, and delay (responsiveness) for a myriad of application domains. For example, a vineyard irrigation system may require less responsiveness to environmental stimuli (i.e., decreased irrigation during wet periods), but have a long lifetime requirement. On the other hand, in a disaster relief application, sensor nodes may require high responsiveness but have a short lifetime. Additional requirements may include high adaptability to rapid network changes as sensor nodes are destroyed. Meeting these application-specific requirements is critical to accomplishing the application's assigned function. Nevertheless, satisfying these demands in a scalable and cost-effective ...