Management of opportunistic networks through cognitive functionalities

Abstract

The emerging wireless world will migrate towards an era that will comprise more local/ temporary structures for the provision of services. Opportunistic networking would be used as a networking paradigm towards this direction. Specifically, operator-governed opportunistic networks (ONs) are dynamically created, temporary, coordinated extensions of the infrastructure. Operator governance is being realized through the use of Cognitive Management Systems (CMSs) which acquire the context, policies and profiles of the environment and make decisions on the creation, maintenance or termination of opportunistic networks. This work presents an approach for elaborating on the concept of the management of opportunistic networks through cognitive functionalities. Two main CMSs are proposed namely, the Cognitive management System for the Coordination of the infrastructure (CSCI) and the Cognitive system for the Management of the Opportunistic Network (CMON). CSCIs and CMONs are making use of the common components of CMSs, i.e., the acquisition of context, policies and profiles, decision making, enforcement and learning and are used in order to manage the creation, maintenance and termination of an ON.