published_or_final_version / abstract / Computer Science / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Computer Science / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Adaptive routing and flow control methods are necessary in computer networks due to the nonstationary conditions that exist in such networks. In this dissertation three distinct yet complementary approaches to modeling computer networks for performance evaluation and control under nonstationary conditions are presented namely: queueing theory, discrete event simulation, and state variable modeling. The application of these techniques to the design and performance evaluation of adaptive routing and flow control methods is demonstrated with the development of a new two-level hierarchical adaptive buffer management scheme and a dynamic virtual circuit routing policy.

A global schema is an integrated view of heterogeneous databases used to support data sharing among independent, existing databases. Global schema design complexities arise from the volume of details, design choices, potential conflicts, and interdependencies among design choices. The methodology described provides a framework for efficient management of these critical dimensions in generating and evaluating alternative designs. The methodology contains three major steps. First, differences due to the varying local data models are resolved by converting each local schema to an equivalent schema in a unifying data model. Second, the entity types of the local schemas in the unifying model are grouped into clusters called common areas. All the entity types in a common area can possibly be merged via generalization. For each common area, semantic information is defined that drives the merging process. Third, each common area is integrated into the global schema by applying a set of generalization operators. Mapping rules are then defined to resolve differences in the representations of equivalent attributes. Th integration of the local schemas is based on equivalence assertions. Four types of attribute equivalences are defined: two attributes may be locally or globally equivalent, and they can be key or non-key. Strategies for handling each of these cases are proposed and evaluated. The global schema design methodology includes several algorithms which may assist a designer. One algorithm analyzes a set of equivalence assertions for consistency and completeness including resolution of transitively implied assertions. A second algorithm performs an interactive merge of a common area by presenting the possible generalization actions to the designer. It supports the theme that many generalization structures can be possible, and the appropriate structure often depends on designer preferences and application requirements. The methodology is evaluated for several cases involving real databases. The cases demonstrate the utility of the methodology in managing the details, considering many alternatives, and resolving conflicts. In addition, these cases demonstrate the need for a set of computer-aided tools; for even a relatively small case, the number of details and design choices can overwhelm a designer.

A high speed, 125 mega-bit per second data rate, data communication channel using fiber optic technology is described. Medical image data, generated by CT scanner or magnetic resonance imaging type imaging equipment, passes from standard American College of Radiology - National Electrical Manufactures Association (ACR-NEMA) interface equipment to the High Speed Fiber Optic Network Interface (HSFONI). The HSFONI implements the ACR-NEMA standard interface physical layer with fiber optics. The HSFONI accepts data from up to 8 devices and passes data to other devices or to a data base archive system for storage and future viewing and analysis. The fiber components, system level, and functional level considerations, and hardware circuit implementation are discussed.

The growing widespread use of data communication networks has led to increased reliance on the availability of network resources. The network itself is a critical resource which must be managed in a timely and effective manner. In order to manage the network effectively, the network manager must have powerful tools that present network information in a fast and logical way. The work presented here is the design and development of a network management tool for Sytek broadband networks. The Sytek Network Management Package (SNMP) incorporates a commercial database management system, Rbase System V, and menu oriented management functions for the University of Arizona Sytek broadband networks. The SNMP is written in C and executes on a PC connected to the Sytek network. The SNMP allows a network manager to manage both the Sytek LocalNet 20 and System 2000 networks.

With the unprecedented growth of the communication industry that the world is experiencing, the demand from rural inhabitants for high quality communications at an economically affordable cost is growing. However, rural areas are rather restricted from deploying communication services due to the rough natural environment, and the shortage of rudimentary communication facilities and technical personnel. Appropriate models for building rural wireless networks and a concomitant simulation environment are, therefore, expected to enable the construction of technologically-optimal and economically-efficient networks in specified rural areas.<br /> <br /> The research has set up two independent models, one for the economic need and the other for the technical need of building networks in rural areas. One model was the Impact of Telecommunications Model, which disclosed the importance of building a wireless network in specified rural areas by choosing an economic parameter to forecast the profitability of the network. The other was the Service Model, which collected primitive data from given rural areas and abstracted these data by flowing them through four technical layers to form the predicted technical wireless network. Both of the models had been applied to real-world cases to demonstrate how to use them.<br /> <br /> A simulation environment was finally designed and implemented to realize the above two models for the sake of instantiation. This environment could simulate the specified rural network by constructing a wireless network on the invented areas and evaluating its quality and economic efficiency. It was written in Scilab simulation language, which was an open source.