Design of a management information base (MIB) for a Smart Sensor Network

Abstract

Sensor networks pose unique challenges for network management that make the traditional network management techniques impractical. Mature internet technologies such as the Simple Network Management Protocol can be utilized to identify sensors as mere network elements to achieve better data transfer architectures. Network management principles can be utilized to integrate configuration, performance, fault, security, and accounting into a sensor network, all of which are relevant features desirable in an instrumentation and measurement system. Sensor networks up to date have evolved in a category of their own in terms of how measurement data would be transmitted and how sensor nodes would be identified. Embedded systems have enabled advanced functionalities even in the smallest nodes. Hence, the capabilities of an actual internet node in terms of addressing and communication protocols are now realizable for a typical sensor node. This paper is on design of a management information base that would identify and help configure measurements on such a sensor node in a sensor network. The proposed design delivers a scalable and simple network management and configuration methodology for all types of sensor networks.