Using emulation to validate applications on opportunistic networks

TL;DR

This paper advocates using network emulation as a tool to support the development and validation of applications in opportunistic networks, addressing the lack of suitable development tools.

Contribution

It identifies key challenges in opportunistic application development and proposes specific requirements for emulators to facilitate testing and development.

Findings

Highlights the gap between network characterization and application development.

Proposes emulation as a solution to support opportunistic application testing.

Defines essential features for an effective opportunistic network emulator.

Abstract

The increasing trend on wireless-connected devices makes opportunistic networking a promising alternative to existing infrastructure-based networks. However, on these networks there is neither guarantee about the availability of the connections nor on the topology of the network. The development of opportunistic applications, i.e., applications running over opportunistic networks, is still in early stages. This is due to lack of tools to support the process in such uncertain conditions. Indeed, many tools have been introduced to study and characterize opportunistic networks, but none of them is focused on helping developers to conceive opportunistic applications. In this paper, we argue that the gap between opportunistic applications development and network characterization can be filled with network emulation. First, this position paper points out important challenges about the development of opportunistic applications. Then, in order to cope with these challenges, it details a set of requirements that an emulator should meet to allow the testing of such applications.