CENS Technical Seminar Series

The Case for Opportunistic Communication

Invited Speaker: Hossein Falaki
Date: February 28, 2008
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Venue: CENS Conference Room

Abstract

We envision that ubiquitous mobile devices will opportunistically communicate with resource-rich data centers over heterogeneous wireless networks. To realize this vision we have developed the Opportunistic Communication Management Protocol (OCMP), a system that allows applications running on a mobile device to seamlessly exploit multiple wireless networks. OCMP shields applications from the complexities of fine-grained control over network usage policy, and maintains sessions across interface switches, disconnections, and device shutdowns. In this talk, I present the architecture and design of OCMP, and its simple API to mobile application developers. I will demonstrate the usability of OCMP through its integration with KioskNet, a system to provide very low-cost internet access to rural areas. I will conclude with an outline of some of the open problems and challenges of opportunistic communication.

Biography

Hossein Falaki is currently a Master's student at the School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He received his Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Sharif University of Technology. His current research focuses on the challenges of opportunistic communication using mobile devices.