My research interests focus on network architecture and design issues. I am most interested in architecture, global performance modeling, and performance optimization of large networking systems, and the intersection of such performance with the space of emerging ubiquitous applications and hybrid networking technologies, such as the Internet of Things, Software Defined Networking, and Aerial Networking.
My early research was exclusively in global performance and resource optimization for optical networks, and I continue to have research interest in various optical networking issues, such as converter placement, traffic grooming, elastic grooming, survivability, slack assignment and other areas in resource allocation. More recently, I am also involved in software-defined control of optical networks, and the intersection of service, choice, and optical network services.
Much of my currently active research is around Internet architecture, wireless and mobile network design, and research infrastructure design – all crucial areas in networking that are gathering increasing attention from the research as well as practitioner communities. These areas also intersect to form the emerging area of SmartCity research.
Another important thread is the issue of network and service continuity – the fault tolerance of networks, and the continued predictable and dependable performance, when conditions depart from the nominal. Such departures may be caused by malicious action by an adversary, requiring network security measures, or be caused naturally, which also requires pre-planning and appropriate design to provide continuity.
The unifying theme in these activities is to achieve increasingly tight coupling of the network to “real” information: information from applications, from other computing entities, from the physical world beyond computing. As solutions to traditional networking challenges become more commoditized, these are the areas the new networking challenges will come from.
An important current project allied to this area is the AERPAW project, to architect, design, build, and operationalize a national facility to enable advanced wireless research experiments in a outdoor testbed embedded in NC State’s Centennial Campus and adjoining areas, with programmable radios, programmable drones, and programmable network topology.
The links at the top of this page provide information on my research students, current and past research projects, publications; there is a brief overview (a personal view) of research which I hope helps you if you are considering getting into academic research, as well as specific information regarding working with me on your research. Other than describing active or past research projects, I also provide a section on areas of potential research, which range from well-considered roadmaps to vague ramblings.