UNIT - 3 Network - Communication Aspects in IOT
UNIT - 3 Network - Communication Aspects in IOT
Wireless medium access control (MAC) issues are critical in IoT environments
because IoT devices rely on wireless communication to exchange data, which
often happens in a shared wireless medium. Ensuring efficient, reliable, and
scalable communication is key to the success of IoT systems. However, IoT
environments face several challenges that are different from traditional wireless
networks due to the unique nature of IoT applications, which may involve large
numbers of resource-constrained devices, diverse traffic patterns, and
heterogeneous network conditions.
1. Scalability
Description: Divides the channel into time slots and assigns specific slots
to each device for transmission. Devices only transmit during their
assigned slots.
Advantages: Avoids collisions by providing deterministic access,
reducing retransmissions and delays.
Limitations: Requires synchronization among devices, which can add
complexity and overhead. Inefficient if devices have variable data rates
or sporadic traffic.
Flat routing protocols treat all nodes equally, without any hierarchical structure.
Cluster-based protocols group nodes into clusters and manage routing within
and between clusters.
Data-centric protocols focus on data rather than the specific routes taken by data
packets.
Description: ICN focuses on data itself rather than the locations of data
sources. Nodes request data by its content rather than its origin.
Advantages: Allows for efficient data retrieval and supports in-network
caching.
Limitations: Requires a shift from traditional IP-based networking and
may introduce complexity in data management.
1. Sensors Deployment
Random Deployment:
o Description: Sensors are placed randomly within the target area.
o Advantages: Simple and cost-effective, especially for large and
inaccessible areas.
o Limitations: Can lead to uneven distribution, resulting in areas
with high sensor density and others with sparse coverage.
Deterministic Deployment:
o Description: Sensors are placed according to a predetermined
plan or grid.
o Advantages: Ensures uniform coverage and avoids redundant
sensing in certain areas.
o Limitations: More complex and costly, requires detailed planning
and may be impractical for large-scale deployments.
Adaptive Deployment:
o Description: Sensors are deployed based on real-time conditions
and requirements, often using dynamic methods to adjust
coverage.
o Advantages: Optimizes sensor placement based on environmental
changes and application needs.
o Limitations: Involves complex algorithms and may require
additional mechanisms for dynamic adjustment.
Coverage:
o Ensuring complete coverage of the target area to capture all
relevant data. Techniques like overlapping coverage and network
planning can help achieve this.
Connectivity:
o Maintaining communication between sensors and the network
gateway. Ensuring adequate network connectivity is crucial for
data transmission and network reliability.
Energy Efficiency:
o Designing deployment strategies that consider energy constraints
of sensor nodes. Techniques like sleep modes, energy-efficient
protocols, and optimal placement can help prolong node lifespan.
Environmental Factors:
o Considering environmental conditions such as terrain, obstacles,
and weather. Deployment strategies should account for these
factors to ensure reliable operation.
Scalability:
o Planning for future expansion or changes in the network. Scalable
deployment strategies can accommodate the addition of more
sensors without significant reconfiguration.
Node Localization:
o Accurately determining the location of sensors, which is essential
for applications like environmental monitoring and asset tracking.
Techniques include GPS, triangulation, and localization algorithms.
Cost:
o Managing costs associated with deploying and maintaining
sensors. Balancing cost with coverage and performance is a key
consideration.
Maintenance:
o Ensuring the ongoing functionality of deployed sensors.
Maintenance strategies should address issues like sensor failure,
battery replacement, and network reconfiguration.
2. Node Discovery
Active Discovery:
o Description: Nodes actively broadcast discovery messages to find
other nodes in the network.
o Advantages: Effective in finding nodes quickly and can be used in
both static and dynamic environments.
o Limitations: Can lead to high overhead and energy consumption
due to frequent broadcasting.
Passive Discovery:
o Description: Nodes listen for broadcasts or communication
attempts from other nodes without actively sending out discovery
messages.
o Advantages: Reduces overhead and energy consumption
compared to active discovery.
o Limitations: Discovery may be slower and less reliable, especially
in noisy environments.
Scalability:
o Ensuring discovery mechanisms can handle a large number of
nodes. Techniques like hierarchical discovery and efficient
algorithms can help manage scalability.
Energy Consumption:
o Minimizing the energy used for discovery processes. Balancing
discovery frequency and energy efficiency is crucial for battery-
powered devices.
Network Topology:
o Adapting discovery methods to different network topologies, such
as mesh, star, or hybrid topologies. Discovery methods should be
compatible with the network structure.
Security:
o Ensuring secure discovery processes to prevent unauthorized
access or attacks. Implementing encryption and authentication
mechanisms can enhance security.
Interference:
o Dealing with interference from other wireless devices or
environmental factors. Techniques like frequency hopping and
adaptive channels can mitigate interference.
Dynamic Environments:
o Handling changes in network topology and node mobility.
Discovery methods should be adaptable to dynamic environments
and frequent changes.
Compatibility:
o Ensuring compatibility between different devices and protocols.
Interoperability between various communication standards and
technologies is essential for seamless operation.
Data Aggregation & Dissemination
Data Aggregation and Data Dissemination are crucial processes in IoT
(Internet of Things) systems for handling the large volumes of data generated by
numerous sensors and devices. Efficient aggregation and dissemination
techniques help in reducing data redundancy, optimizing network bandwidth,
and ensuring timely delivery of information.
1. Data Aggregation
1.1. Definition
In-Network Aggregation:
o Description: Data aggregation is performed within the network
itself, often at intermediate nodes. Nodes collect data from
neighboring sensors and aggregate it before forwarding it to the
sink or base station.
o Advantages: Reduces the amount of data transmitted to the sink,
conserves energy, and minimizes network congestion.
o Limitations: Can introduce delays and requires additional
coordination among nodes.
Centralized Aggregation:
o Description: Data is sent from sensors to a central server or base
station, where aggregation is performed.
o Advantages: Simplifies aggregation logic and can handle more
complex data processing tasks.
o Limitations: Requires significant bandwidth to transmit all data to
the central node, which can be inefficient and energy-consuming.
Hierarchical Aggregation:
o Description: Data aggregation is performed in multiple levels.
Sensor nodes first aggregate data locally, then send aggregated
data to higher-level nodes or cluster heads for further
aggregation.
o Advantages: Scales well with large networks, reduces
communication overhead, and improves energy efficiency.
o Limitations: Requires hierarchical structure and can introduce
latency due to multiple aggregation levels.
Simple Aggregation:
o Description: Basic techniques like averaging, summing, or
minimum/maximum operations are used to aggregate data.
o Advantages: Simple to implement and effective for many
applications.
o Limitations: May not capture complex data relationships or
patterns.
Advanced Aggregation:
o Description: Techniques like weighted averaging, statistical
analysis, and data mining algorithms are used for more
sophisticated aggregation.
o Advantages: Provides more accurate and meaningful summaries,
supports complex queries.
o Limitations: More computationally intensive and may require
more resources.
Compression-Based Aggregation:
o Description: Data is compressed before aggregation to reduce the
amount of transmitted data.
o Advantages: Reduces bandwidth usage and storage requirements.
o Limitations: Compression can introduce latency and requires
computational overhead for encoding and decoding.
Data Redundancy:
o Reducing redundant data while ensuring that important
information is not lost.
Data Accuracy:
o Ensuring that aggregation does not compromise the accuracy or
integrity of the data.
Scalability:
o Handling increasing amounts of data and nodes efficiently.
Energy Efficiency:
o Minimizing energy consumption for data aggregation, especially in
battery-powered sensors.
2. Data Dissemination
2.1. Definition
Flooding:
o Description: Data is broadcast to all nodes in the network, and
each node forwards the data to its neighbors.
o Advantages: Simple to implement and ensures data reaches all
nodes.
o Limitations: Can lead to high redundancy, network congestion,
and energy waste.
Routing-Based Dissemination:
o Description: Data is sent along specific routes determined by
routing protocols.
o Advantages: More efficient than flooding, reduces redundant
transmissions.
o Limitations: Requires routing protocols and can be complex to
manage in dynamic networks.
Multicast:
o Description: Data is sent to a specific group of nodes rather than
all nodes.
o Advantages: Reduces the amount of data transmitted compared
to broadcasting, improves efficiency.
o Limitations: Requires group management and may involve more
complex setup.
Publish-Subscribe:
o Description: Nodes subscribe to specific data types or topics, and
data is published to subscribers based on their interests.
o Advantages: Efficient for applications where data is only relevant
to certain nodes.
o Limitations: Requires managing subscriptions and may involve
additional overhead.
2.3. Dissemination Protocols
Latency:
o Ensuring timely delivery of data to recipients, especially in real-
time applications.
Network Congestion:
o Avoiding excessive traffic and ensuring efficient use of network
resources.
Scalability:
o Handling increasing numbers of nodes and data volumes without
significant performance degradation.
Energy Efficiency:
o Reducing energy consumption for data dissemination, especially in
battery-powered devices.