Extending cloud-based applications in challenged environments with mobile opportunistic networks

Abstract

With the tremendous growth of mobile devices, e.g, smartphones, tablets and PDAs in recent years, users are looking for more advanced platforms in order to use their computational applications (e.g., processing and storage) in a faster and more convenient way. In addition, mobile devices are capable of using cloud-based applications and the use of such technology is growing in popularity. However, one major concern is how to efficiently access these cloud-based applications when using a resource-constraint mobile device. Essentially applications require a continuous Internet connection which is difficult to obtain in challenged environments that lack an infrastructure for communication (e.g., in sparse or rural areas) or areas with infrastructure (e.g., urban or high density areas) with restricted/full of interference access networks and even areas with high costs of Internet roaming. In these situations the use of mobile opportunistic networks may be extended to avail cloud-based applications to the user.

In this thesis we explore the emergence of extending cloud-based applications with mobile opportunistic networks in challenged environments and observe how local user’s social interactions and collaborations help to improve the overall message delivery performance in the network. With real-world trace-driven simulations, we compare and contrast the different user’s behaviours in message forwarding, the impact of the various network loads (e.g., number of messages) along with the long-sized messages and the impact of different wireless networking technologies, in various opportunistic routing protocols in a challenged environment.