- Component Compatibility Specification Language (CCSL) — A form of conditional XML that can be embedded in other XML documents to detect and select portions of the document which are compatible with some given target environment, eliminating the incompatible partsCCSL is intended to allow diverse execution environments in programmable networks to select alternatives of components and configuration that are to be deployed in those environments.
- Open Lightweight Intrusion Detection System (OpenLIDS) — Wireless mesh networks are being used to provide Internet access in a cost efficient manner. Typically, consumer-level wireless access points with modified software are used to route traffic to potentially multiple back-haul points. Malware infected computers generate malicious traffic, which uses valuable network resources and puts other systems at risk. Intrusion detection systems can be used to detect such activity. Cost constraints and the decentralised nature of WMNs make performing intrusion detection on mesh devices desirable. However, these devices are typically resource constrained. We have implement a set of lightweight anomaly detection mechanisms as part of an intrusion detection system, called OpenLIDS.
- Policy-based Resilience Simulator — Network simulations enable the testing of complex network scenarios (which would be difficult to emulate using actual hardware) in an inexpensive manner. However, it is difficult to evaluate resilience strategies that involve the interplay between a number of detection and remediation mechanisms that must be activated on demand according to events observed in the network (as opposed to hardcoded protocols). We have proposed the notion of a policy-based resilience simulator based on the integration of a network simulator and a policy management framework. This permits the evaluation of resilience strategies consisting of mechanisms whose behaviour can be adapted during run-time – e.g. setting flags, dropping connections, triggering or stopping monitoring sessions, etc. We employ policies to specify the required adaptations, which are de-coupled from the hard-wired implementations of the simulated components, according to conditions observed during run-time in the simulation. We can thus observe how real policies affect the operation and the behaviour of simulated components, and then evaluate the effectiveness of resilience strategies before they are deployed in the network infrastructure.