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4.5 WP4 – Experimentation Platforms

In order to test and evaluate the management concepts and algorithms that are being developed within the M-Zones research programme, experimental platforms are required to provide implementation and experimentation environments. Essentially two types of experimentation platforms are envisaged, physical test-beds and software platforms based around computer simulation.

One goal of this work package is to construct and maintain an evolving set of test-bed environments, in which experimentation with the tools, algorithms, and technologies that are being developed is possible. Having multiple test-beds, each focused at a partner's core area of expertise, allows for more extensive testing and parallel evaluation.

The key requirements of each test-bed are as follows:

  • Each should provide multiple management "zones" with differing characteristics, including a private zone (limited-range interaction), a virtual zone spanning sites, and a public zone allowing access by non-validated users.
  • Each should be equipped with a variety of devices from the two main device categories: immobile devices (devices which can move but tend not to) and mobile devices (devices which can move and do). A range of device complexities must also exist, ranging from fully functional computers down to barely-intelligent artefacts.
  • Finally, each should include a range of software systems interacting with the management platform. Each piece of technology added to a test-bed will be characterised according to the models developed in WP3.


    • The initial selection for technology will derive from the initial state of the art review, with subsequent upgrades (expected at roughly nine-month intervals) being guided by the ongoing reviews. As a side benefit, integrating new equipment into the test-beds will provide valuable information as to how well technologies can be made to interact and what barriers exist to their deployment.

    Complementary to physical experimentation platforms purely virtual testing environment will be developed to carry out experiments that cannot be conducted on the physical testbeds due to non-availability of technology, size of the experiments or cost reasons. The advantages and disadvantages of simulation are that it allows experimentation with far larger and more complex systems than can be constructed by a small project, can explore the implications of yet-to-be-realised developments, but does not necessarily give insight into the engineering aspects of deployment. For this reason a combined testing and simulation framework is to be preferred.

    Simulations will be driven as far as possible by the characterisations of devices deployed within the test-beds, or with hypothesised characteristics of devices. The characterisation will include all required management and usage parameters. The simulation environments will be used to explore the impact of different management policies on the ability of a particular system to meet its target objectives, and conversely will allow a priori estimates of the scalability characteristics of systems under given policy constraints.

    Deliverables (Number, Due time in months from programme start):

    D4.1 (T0+13):                Experimentation Platform Report

    D4.2 (T0+18):                Experimentation Platform Report

    D4.3 (T0+23):                Experimentation Platform Report

    D4.4 (T0+30):                Experimentation Platform Report

    D4.5 (T0+35):                Experimentation Platform Report

    D4.6 (T0+42):                Experimentation Platform Report

    D4.7 (T0+47):                Experimentation Platform Report

    These deliverables will be generated jointly with corresponding WP2 and WP3 deliverables.

    WP4 Co-ordinator:     CIT (Dr. Dirk Pesch)