A crash faults detection service for wireless and mobile ad hoc networks

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an adaptive approach for diagnosing faulty nodes in a wireless mobile environment.

Design/methodology/approach Based on a diagnosis approach that has been previously developed for wired networks. A discussion of the novel diagnosis protocol and its correctness is also included.

Findings In this paper, the author presents a new implementation of a failure detection service for wireless ad hoc and sensor systems that is based on an adaptation of a gossip‐style failure detection protocol and the heartbeat failure detector. The authors show that the failure detector is eventually perfect – that is, there is a time after which every faulty mobile is permanently suspected by every fault‐free host, and no host will be suspected before it crashes.

Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this work is the lack of simulations results. Future works will be directed at providing such performance evaluations.

Practical implications The work introduced in this paper aims mainly at identifying faulty nodes in a wireless mobile environment. This service has been identified as one of the basic building blocks for dependable mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).

Originality/value The paper is first work that adapts a previously developed failure detection service to wireless and MANETs.