Starfish Framework Analysis

CHAPTER - 6

STARFISH FRAMEWORK

The starfish platform is an adaptation framework for WSNs that focuses on the self-healing aspects of the network. The framework's fundamental devices are an embedded policy management system for sensor nodes, the Starfish Module Library (SML), a module library that simplifies programming that provide basic functions and tools required for sensing applications, and starfish editor, a client side graphical user interface for controlling policies, missions and roles. Starfish is essentially, framework to facilitate building Self- Adaptive Sensor Cells (SASCs), that provides the infrastructure for management and self- adaptation within the network as well as deployment of self-healing strategies. In starfish framework

However, they are not a full edged programming model. Policies are interpreted at runtime on sensor nodes and are designed to be lightweight and compact to transmit over-the-air. While they allow adaptation to new conditions without requiring nodes to reboot, they are not a platform that supports complete software updates and node reprogramming. Instead, it is a means for controlling activity by orchestrating existing software components on

The wireless sensor equipment is often used in healthcare applications while applying many types of portable sensors. These wearable sensors are placed on the patient body surface. They are composed of small devices like heart rate, blood pressure, thermometer, glucose sensors to measure the biophysical patient state, as illustrated in Figure 1.1. Hospital Doctors can ask about a patient's history by an application on the devices that communicate with the patient's wearable sensor network. The deployed Sensor network on the patient body surface consists of several components like thermometer for measuring body temperature, an ECG monitor and an activity recognition system that uses accelerometers. Each component in this example worked autonomously, i.e. an SASC.

Figure 6.1 illustrates the diagrammatic representation of participating roles and their interactions. There are two types of SASC interactions observed by Smart Home Health Care. A composition pattern of three sensor nodes with different duties; ECG, thermometer and Patient activities, which are composed only in one SASC with the patient role. Instead of addressing the subcomponents, the SAS Cells can contact with the Patient