Potential thesis projects, by research areas:
Network
Control and Management: Static Analysis and Clean Slate Design
A Revolutionary 4D Approach to Network-Wide Control and Management:
We investigate the feasibility of a clean-slate design the network
control and management functionality following three key principles:
network-level objectives, network-wide views, and direct control.
The research is focused on the implementation and evaluation of an
extreme network architecture that we call "4D," after the
architecture's four functionality planes: decision, which is
logically centralized; dissemination; discovery; and data. Specific
topics include: (1) a unified data model for correlating management data
from different layers of the protocol stack, and (2) a 4D design of
the networking component of a missile defense system.
Development of Reachability Analysis Tool Kit: This project has two goals.
The first goal is to validate a static packet filter analysis tool
developed by a former NPS student (E. Wong, December 2006). The validation will
be done with AT&T datasets consisting of both router configure files
and Cisco netflow records. The second goal is to enhance the tool so
that the analysis will be able to capture the effects of static routes
and routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, and BGP) on packet reachability.
Development of Theory and Tools for Configuration Management: The goal
of this project is to develop "configurators", or systems that can
generate router level configuration from high-level network wide
design requirements and a preselected set of protocols and mechanisms.
This work is analogous to design of compilers for a high level programming
language.
Network Security
Evaluation of IPv6 Protocols: New topic or follow-up work to several on-going
or completed thesis projects. Prior projects covered the following topics:
(1) mapping of router-Level topology of an IPv6 network, (2) evaluation of
SEND (IPv6 SEcure Neighborhood Discovery) protocol, (3) analysis of
IPv6 mobility and return routability procedure, (4) automation of BGP blackhole
routing against DDoS attacks, (5) IPv6 host fingerprinting, (6) implementation
of DoS attacks against IPv6 auto-configuration, and (7)
measurement study of BGP blackhole routing performance.
Potential FY08 topics are listed in this PDF document:
FY08-Topics
Mobile Ad-hoc
Networking and Military Radio/Satellite Networks
Joint Mobile Network Operation (JMNO): This project is sponsored by the
USMC. The goal is to
develop router configuration templates that can be used for establishing
lateral data links between units of different services (e.g., between
a Marine regiment and an Army unit). The focus will be on quality of
service and information assurance. Specifically, we develop guidelines
and evaluate technologies that are suitable for ensuring interoperability
of routing and firewall policies.
A recently completed thesis can be found here:
A Recent JMNO Thesis
USMC TrellisWare Project: Topics include (1) analyze the inherent networking
capability of the Trellisware TW-120 IP network radios to determine its
suitability for providing on demand and prioritized network access,
(2) explore the use of the radio’s link access control to provide
improved routing and Quality of Service guarantees, and (3) investigate methods
of autonomous network discovery and management such that the radios can be
used to establish ad hoc networks with minimal or no user action.
Underwater Acoustic Networks
Design and evaluate media access control protocols for underwater
acoustic networks consisting of either fixed sensor nodes or mobile
platforms (e.g., unmanned vehicles).