Announcing the Final Examination of Mr. Marino Ricardo Lent for the 
degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Date: March 3, 2003
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Room: CSB 232
Dissertation title: On the Design and Performance of Cognitive Packets 
over Wired Networks and Mobile Ad Hoc Networks


This dissertation studied "cognitive packet networks" (CPN) which
build networked learning systems that support adaptive, quality of 
service-driven routing of packets in wired networks and in wireless, 
mobile ad hoc networks.

The first part of this study completed the design of the CPN algorithm
for wired systems by revisiting the decision making procedure employed 
by "smart packets" in the former initiative. To conduct evaluation 
studies, this work proposed two implementation architectures, both of 
which were integrated into the Linux 2.4 kernel.

The second part of this dissertation extended CPN to ad hoc networks by
introducing mechanisms to handle node mobility with a new quality-of-
service metric that makes better use of the limited resources typically 
present in such networks. In ad hoc CPN (AHCPN), "path availability" 
quantifies a path via the probability to find nodes and links available
for routing; it is defined as a function of battery lifetime at nodes and 
signal-to-noise ratio of communication channels. A s a result, nodes which 
have low power are able to extend their working lifetime and routes are 
selected based on power considerations, leading to the establishment of 
more robust communication paths over time.

The study included the deployment of three network testbeds and 
extensive experimentation to verify the performance of both CPN and 
AHCPN. In addition, a simulation model of AHCPN was developed using 
Network Simulator 2 (NS-2).  Measurements on real systems and 
simulations revealed great capacity for adaptability and successful
performance of both CPN and AHCPN under different network conditions.


Outline of Studies:
Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Educational Career:
B.S.E.E., 1993, Universidad Ricardo Palma (Lima, Peru)
M.S.E.E., 1998, Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria (Lima, Peru)
M.S.C.S., 2000, University of Central Florida 

Committee in Charge:
Dr. Erol Gelenbe
Dr. Mostafa Bassiouni
Dr. Gerald Marin
Dr. Parveen Wahid

Approved for distribution by Erol Gelenbe, Committee Chair, 
on February 16, 2003. 

The public is welcome to attend.