S2DB: a novel simulation-based debugger for sensor network applications

ABSTRACT

Sensor network computing can be characterized as resource-constrained distributed computing using unreliable, low bandwidth communication. This combination of characteristics poses significant software development and maintenance challenges. Effective and efficient debugging tools for sensor network are thus critical. Existent development tools, such as TOSSIM, EmStar, ATEMU and Avrora, provide useful debugging support, but not with the fidelity, scale and functionality that we believe are sufficient to meet the needs of the next generation of applications.In this paper, we propose a debugger, called S²DB, based on a distributed full system sensor network simulator with high fidelity and scalable performance, DiSenS. By exploiting the potential of DiSenS as a scalable full system simulator, S²DB extends conventional debugging methods by adding novel device level, program source level, group level, and network level debugging abstractions. The performance evaluation shows that all these debugging features introduce overhead that is generally less than 10% into the simulator and thus making S²DB an efficient and effective debugging tool for sensor networks.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.5 Testing and Debugging

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING

General Terms:
Experimentation, Performance

Keywords:
ebugging, sensor network, simulation