Networked and Embedded Systems Laboratory

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In-situ reconfiguration of software is indispensable in embedded networked sensing systems. It is required for re-tasking a deployed network, fixing bugs, introducing new features and tuning the system parameters to the operating environment. We present a system that supports software reconfiguration in embedded sensor networks at multiple levels. The system architecture is based on an operating system consisting of a fixed tiny static kernel and binary modules that can be dynamically inserted, updated or removed unobtrusively. On top of the operating system is a command interpreter, implemented as a dynamically extensible virtual machine, that can execute high-level scripts written in portable byte code. Any binary module dynamically inserted into the operating systems can register custom extensions in the virtual machine interpreter, thus allowing the high-level scripts executed by the virtual machine to efficiently access services exported by a module, such as tuning module parameters. Together these system mechanisms permit the flexibility of selecting the most appropriate level of reconfiguration. In addition to detailing the system architecture and the design choices, the paper presents a systematic analysis of flexibility versus cost tradeoffs provided by these mechanisms.

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