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Doing It Right - Recommendations for RPL in PLC-based Networks for the Smart Grid
Abstract
Narrowband powerline communications are one of the core technologies for the evolution of the power grid enabling the dialogue between the power meters and the utilities. The new environment, traffic patterns and application requirements make the choice of network protocols in these networks non-trivial. In this paper, we analyse the behavior of the Contiki RPL stack, the most popular and open implementation of the IETF RPL standard. We provide evidence why the state-of-art implementations do not behave in an optimal way for Smart Grid applications and propose mechanisms and parameter selection politics that lead to improved performance during the route formation phase of the network.
... The RPL protocol is considered to be the most suitable routing protocol for AMI communication scenarios. Existing research has studied the application of RPL protocol in smart grid environment [11][12][13][14][15]. However, some research pointed out the security problems of the standard RPL protocol [16][17][18][19][20][21]. ...
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is the core component of the smart grid. As the wireless connection between smart meters in AMI is featured with high packet loss and low transmission rate, AMI is considered as a representative of the low power and lossy networks (LLNs). In such communication environment, the routing protocol in AMI network is essential to ensure the reliability and real-time of data transmission. The IPv6 routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL), proposed by IETF ROLL working group, is considered to be the best routing solution for the AMI communication environment. However, the performance of RPL can be seriously degraded due to jamming attack. In this paper, we analyze the performance degradation problem of RPL protocol under jamming attack. We propose a backup node selection mechanism based on the standard RPL protocol. The proposed mechanism chooses a predefined number of backup nodes that maximize the probability of successful transmission. We evaluation the proposed mechanism through MATLAB simulations, results show the proposed mechanism improves the performance of RPL under jamming attack prominently.
... Ropitault et al. [Rop+14] present some recommendations for RPL parameters for smart grid networks. They show that RPL parameters selection has to be carefully set for narrow-band PLC networks as well as IEEE 802.15.4 multihop AMI networks. ...
Since decades, the power grid is Under going a tremendous evolution, toward what is called the Smart Grid. The grid is actually evolving from a centralized architecture to a decentralized one, taking into account all the unpredictable sources and consumption. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure is the network dedicated to the Smart Grid that allows two-ways communications between the consumers and the energy providers. Smart Meters networks, that are part of this architecture, rely on powerline communications, a technology that is highly sensitive to interference. Despite dedicated layer 2 protocols, the employed technologies cannot fulfill most of smart grid applications requirements. The majority of smart meter network technology candidates are short range, each meter cannot reach the concentrator in one hop. Nodes need to collaborate, using a routing protocol like RPL to reach the destination. The goal of this thesis is to modify RPL to a multi interfaces environment, and study how interface heterogeneity could increase the reliability and the performance of a smart meter network.
... Ropitault et al. [82] implemented IEEE P1901.2 module as a narrowband PLC technology on OPNET and compared the 'RPL over PLC' performance of OPNET simulations and testbed experiments. Ropitault et al. [83] also showed that DelayDAO timer value of RPL needs to be adjusted for RPL over PLC. Balmau et al. [34] implemented IEEE 1901.2 as a MAC layer to support medium voltage PLC and evaluated the performance of RPL over PLC through COOJA simulations. ...
RPL is the IPv6 routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (LLNs), standardized by IETF in 2012 as RFC6550. Specifically, RPL is designed to be a simple and inter-operable networking protocol for resource-constrained devices in industrial, home, and urban environments, intended to support the vision of the Internet of Things (IoT) with thousands of devices interconnected through multihop mesh networks. More than four-years have passed since the standardization of RPL, and we believe that it is time to examine and understand its current state. In this article, we review the history of research efforts in RPL; what aspects have been (and have not been) investigated and evaluated, how they have been studied, what was (and was not) implemented, and what remains for future investigation. We reviewed 97+ RPL-related academic research papers published by major academic publishers and present a topic-oriented survey for these research efforts. Our survey shows that only 40.2% of the papers evaluate RPL through experiments using implementations on real embedded devices, ContikiOS and TinyOS are the two most popular implementations (92.3%), and TelosB was the most frequently used hardware platform (69%) on testbeds that have average and median size of 49.4 and 30.5 nodes, respectively. Furthermore, unfortunately, despite it being approximately four years since its initial standardization, we are yet to see wide adoption of RPL as part of real-world systems and applications. We present our observations on the reasons behind this and suggest directions on which RPL should evolve.
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is the core component of the smart grid. As the wireless connection between smart meters in AMI is featured with high packet loss and low transmission rate, AMI is considered as a representative of the low power and lossy networks (LLNs). In such communication environment, the routing protocol in AMI network is essential to ensure the reliability and real-time of data transmission. The IPv6 routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL), proposed by IETF ROLL working group, is considered to be the best routing solution for the AMI communication environment. However, the performance of RPL can be seriously degraded due to jamming attack. In this paper, we analyze the performance degradation problem of RPL protocol under jamming attack. We propose a backup node selection mechanism based on the standard RPL protocol. The proposed mechanism chooses a predefined number of backup nodes that maximize the probability of successful transmission. We evaluation the proposed mechanism through MATLAB simulations, results show the proposed mechanism improves the performance of RPL under jamming attack prominently.
Multiple heterogeneous communication technologies offer great opportunities in Smart grid network by using wire, wireless and optic fiber. Most of future smart meters will use Powerline Communication (PLC) technology in addition to one or more wireless interfaces to tackle the physical constraints and failure of the PLC network. When a smart meter is connected using two different technologies, choosing the best relay node and the best link to transmit the message is a key decision to provide a good quality of service and increase the reliability of the communication network. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to manage multiple interfaces at the routing level (using RPL), and a re-transmission scheme to improve the reliability of the network when a PLC interface fails.
Le réseau électrique a connu récemment une évolution majeure pour se transformer en un réseau électrique intelligent: le Smart Grid (SG). La bidirectionnalité des communications est au c¿ur du SG et permet de mettre en ¿uvre et de prendre en compte un ensemble de nouvelles fonctionnalités. L'Advanced Metering Infrastructure permet d'assurer l'interconnexion entre utilisateurs et opérateurs électrique à l'aide d'une nouvelle génération de compteur: "les compteurs intelligents". Alors que le déploiement de compteur intelligent a déjà commencé dans le monde, une multitude de choix reste encore à faire concernant leur mise-en-¿uvre. Concernant le medium de communication, le Courant Porteur en Ligne (CPL), utilisant les lignes électriques déjà déployées, semble être la solution idéale pour les opérateurs énergétiques. Le standard P901.2 a été standardisé par l'IEEE pour permettre des communication efficaces au sein du SG. Il préconise l'utilisation du protocole IPv6 mais ne donne aucune indication concernant le protocole de routage à utiliser. Le CPL est un environnement extrême de part sa nature (bruits, faibles débits) et peut-être vu comme un Low Power and Lossy Network (LLN). L'IETF a défini le protocole pro-actif RPL spécifiquement pour les LLN et semble, de ce fait, un bon candidat pour les environnements IEEE P1901.2. Le but de cette thèse a été d'étudier le comportement de RPL dans le Smart Grid et d'apporter des améliorations spécifiques pour le Smart Grid afin de garantir un fonctionnement optimal de RPL dans ce type d'environnement.
Low-Power and Lossy Networks (LLNs) are a class of network in which
both the routers and their interconnect are constrained. LLN routers
typically operate with constraints on processing power, memory, and
energy (battery power). Their interconnects are characterized by
high loss rates, low data rates, and instability. LLNs are comprised
of anything from a few dozen to thousands of routers. Supported
traffic flows include point-to-point (between devices inside the
LLN), point-to-multipoint (from a central control point to a subset
of devices inside the LLN), and multipoint-to-point (from devices
inside the LLN towards a central control point). This document
specifies the IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks
(RPL), which provides a mechanism whereby multipoint-to-point traffic
from devices inside the LLN towards a central control point as well
as point-to-multipoint traffic from the central control point to the
devices inside the LLN are supp
The Trickle algorithm allows nodes in a lossy shared medium (e.g.,
low-power and lossy networks) to exchange information in a highly
robust, energy efficient, simple, and scalable manner. Dynamically
adjusting transmission windows allows Trickle to spread new
information on the scale of link-layer transmission times while
sending only a few messages per hour when information does not
change. A simple suppression mechanism and transmission point
selection allow Trickle’s communication rate to scale logarithmically
with density. This document describes the Trickle algorithm and
considerations in its use.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a key enabler of the Smart Grid. Narrowband Power Line Communication (PLC) technology is currently the preferred choice for many AMI use cases. Different PHY/MAC standards and dedicated routing protocols are emerging. New trustworthy models and simulation tools are needed for their evaluation in large scale deployments. This paper presents a realistic model for the latest generation of OFDM-based narrowband PLC standards. The model has been implemented in a popular network simulator - OPNET. Furthermore, the model and the simulator are validated against a real-world testbed. Finally, we present the calibration process and the scalability of the simulator. The results show that it is possible to simulate large topologies of more than 1000 Smart Meters running different types of data traffic, under a proactive (RPL) or reactive (LOAD) packet routing.
Routing protocols for sensor networks are often designed with explicit assumptions, serving to simplify design and reduce the necessary energy, processing and communications requirements. Different protocols make different assumptions - and this paper considers those made by the designers of RPL - an IPv6 routing protocol for such networks, developed within the IETF. Specific attention is given to the predominance of bi-directional traffic flows in a large class of sensor networks, and this paper therefore studies the performance of RPL for such flows. As a point of comparison, a different protocol, called LOAD, is also studied. LOAD is derived from AODV and supports more general kinds of traffic flows. The results of this investigation reveal that for scenarios where bi-directional traffic flows are predominant, LOAD provides similar data delivery ratios as RPL, while incurring less overhead and being simultaneously less constrained in the types of topologies supported.
Wireless sensor networks are composed of large numbers of tiny networked devices that communicate untethered. For large scale networks, it is important to be able to download code into the network dynamically. We present Contiki, a lightweight operating system with support for dynamic loading and replacement of individual programs and services. Contiki is built around an event-driven kernel but provides optional preemptive multithreading that can be applied to individual processes. We show that dynamic loading and unloading is feasible in a resource constrained environment, while keeping the base system lightweight and compact.
In this paper, we propose two adaptive algorithms to control Destination Advertisement Option (DAO) packet emissions in RPL non-storing mode: a centralized, or controlled by the DAG root, and a distributed. We propose new mechanisms to derive the most appropriate value for the DelayDAO Timer, a timer that determines how long a node should wait before transmitting its destination advertisement packet to the DAG root or collection point. We also propose similar mechanism for RPL-storing mode by implementing multiple destination aggregation in a single DAO packet. We show that instead of using a fixed universal timer to control DAO emissions, as recommended in the IETF standard, the use of an adaptive timer at each node allows the network to quickly adjust to topological changes. This is aimed at reducing congestion and packet drops, specially near the DAG root, which also impacts memory and buffer requirements, as well as data delivery delay. This is crucial for networks such as Urban LLNs or Smart Grid AMI networks, whose nodes have very limited resources with regards to energy and buffer space. We show how the proposed mechanisms outperform the default method in RPL with regards to these metrics.
In this paper, we simulate and analyze the performance of the network formation process with the RPL (IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks), which is a routing protocol specifically designed for Low power and Lossy Networks (LLN) compliant with 6LoWPAN (IPv6 Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks). One motivation behind this work is that RPL is the first prospective candidate routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks, which are a main component in the next generation Internet-of-Things. RPL is still under development, although having gained maturity, and is open to improvements. Indeed, there is a need to understand well its behavior, and investigate its relevance. Our analysis is based on the ContikiRPL accurate and realistic simulation model developed under Contiki operating system. The performance of RPL is evaluated and analyzed for different network settings to understand the impact of the protocol attributes on the network formation performance, namely in terms energy, storage overhead, communication overhead, network convergence time and the maximum hop count. We argue through simulation that RPL provides several features that make it suitable to large scale networks.
The IETF Routing Over Low-power and Lossy Networks working group has recently proposed the IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low power and Lossy Networks, i.e., the RPL protocol. It has been designed to face the typical requirements of wireless sensor networks. Given its relevance in the industrial and scientific communities, this paper presents a performance analysis of RPL based on simulations. Our results clearly show that RPL can ensure a very fast network set-up, thus allowing the development of advanced monitoring applications also in critical conditions. On the other hand, we found that further research is required to optimize the RPL signaling in order to decrease the protocol overhead.
The trickle algorithm
- P Levis
- T Clausen
- J Hui
- O Gnawali
- J Ko