System for evolutionary service migration

• US 7,366,185 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bush, Stephen F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yun; Eugene
• Application Number:
  US10/770,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/255, 370/311, 370/312, 370400-402, 370/369, 370/256, 370/338, 370/328, 455450-453, 455/69
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system in accordance with the present invention operates a wireless ad hoc network. The system includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of protocols for governing transmission of data between the plurality of nodes. A first node of the plurality of nodes executes an evolutionary service migration algorithm for transferring a service from the first node to one of the remaining of the plurality of nodes.

Claims

1. A system for operating a wireless ad hoc network, the system comprising:

a plurality of nodes; and

a plurality of protocols that govern transmission of data between the plurality of nodes, a first node of the plurality of nodes executing an evolutionary service migration algorithm for transferring a service from the first node to a one of the remaining of the plurality of nodes, wherein the first node generates a Quality of Service metric for determining to which of the remaining plurality of nodes to transfer the service and the evolutionary service migration algorithm produces a metric representing a degree of dynamism of the wireless ad hoc network as the degree of dynamism relates to the Quality of Service metric, and wherein dynamism is defined as complexity and rate of change of a variable topology of the wireless ad hoc network,

wherein the evolutionary service migration algorithm autonomously adapts to unanticipated changes to the topology of the network and autonomously assigns an arbitrary value to a node that cannot be reached by the service.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the service includes code that adapts to the operation of the node to which the service is transferred.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a service migration wrapper for dynamically maintaining the service at an optimal location within the network.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a specified set of force vectors are assigned to each of the plurality of nodes by said plurality of protocols.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the Quality of Service metric characterizes the performance of the network to transmit information from the first node to the remaining of the plurality of nodes.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for evolutionary polling of some of the plurality of nodes.

7. A method for transferring a service across a wireless ad hoc network, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a plurality of nodes with a plurality of protocols;

governing transmission of data between the plurality of nodes;

executing an evolutionary service migration algorithm for transferring the service from a first node to a one of the remaining of the plurality of nodes;

generating a Quality of Service metric for determining to which of the remaining plurality of nodes to transfer the service from the first node, wherein the evolutionary service migration algorithm produces a metric representing a degree of dynamism of the wireless ad hoc network as the degree of dynamism relates to the Quality of Service metric, and wherein dynamism is defined as complexity and rate of change of a variable topology of the wireless ad hoc network;

autonomously adapting the evolutionary service migration algorithm to unanticipated changes to the topology of the network; and

autonomously assigning an arbitrary value to a node that cannot be reached by the service.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

characterizing the performance of the network to transmit information from the first node to the remaining of the plurality of nodes with the Quality of Service metric.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

polling at least one of the plurality of nodes.