Performance Evaluation of a Robust Data Aggregation Approach in Diverse Sensor Networking Environments

In wireless sensor networks, a sensor node, besides being able to act on the environment, is also a network entity that performs networking-related functionalities and could be integrated within the networking and grid environment. In this chapter, we adopt a probabilistic approach that presents a robust and generalized framework for performing in-network processing in order to improve the overall data collection and monitoring process in a sensor network. The effectiveness and applicability of the framework under investigation in a diverse set of networking environments that present different constraints, limitations, and physical characteristics are demonstrated via modeling and simulation, under different traffic loads. Furthermore, different ways of dynamically varying and configuring parameters related to the aggregation process are investigated and evaluated for different applications and networking environments (terrestrial and underwater sensor networks).