Toronto Networking Seminar

Organized by Department of Computer Science and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto


Coding Networks: On the Use of Source Coding as a Tool for Network Protocols Design and Evaluation


Alhussein Abouzeid
Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering Department
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Date:  Friday, March  7,  2pm
Location: BA 1220 

Abstract:

For dynamic networks - almost every modern network is dynamic - significant protocol information may be needed in order to maintain up-to-date information, or state, in the network, and such an overhead has yet to be fully understood. But the real effective throughput achievable in a network depends not only on how much a node can send, but also how much of the sent information is actual user data vis-à-vis protocol information. This talk will present a new framework to study network protocol information. In essence, the approach posits that state changes provide an alphabet for efficient source coding. Time permitting, the speaker will also present a brief overview of his recent networks research projects at RPI applying stochastic decision theory and queuing theory to protocol design of ad hoc and mobile sensor networks.

Bio:

Alhussein Abouzeid received the B.S. degree with honors from Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt in 1993, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from University of Washington, Seattle, WA in 1999 and 2001, respectively, all in electrical engineering. From 1994 until 1997, he served as a Project Manager in the Middle East Regional Office of Alcatel telecom. In 2001 he joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering Department, and Deputy Director of the Center for Pervasive Computing and Networking. He received the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) in 2006. He serves on various conferences organization committees and is an area editor for Computer Networks journal.

Host of the talk

Jörg Liebeherr (jorg@comm.toronto.edu)