STREAM: Sensor topology retrieval at multiple resolutions

Large-scale sensor networks need energy-efficient mechanisms to extract topology for various aspects of sensor network management. Some network properties can be inferred from a relatively low-resolution representation of topology. Different topology resolutions suffice for different management applications to perform at a desired level. In these cases, it is an overkill to retrieve the entire topology of large-scale networks particularly because sensor nodes are energy constrained. In this paper, we describe a distributed parameterized algorithm for Sensor Topology Retrieval at Multiple Resolutions (STREAM), which makes a tradeoff between topology details and resources expended. We also define various classes of topology queries and rules for optimal parameter selection to support these queries.