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Model checking mobile ad hoc networks

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Abstract

Modeling arbitrary connectivity changes within mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) makes application of automated formal verification challenging. We use constrained labeled transition systems as a semantic model to represent mobility. To model check MANET protocols with respect to the underlying topology and connectivity changes, we introduce a branching-time temporal logic. The path quantifiers are parameterized by multi-hop constraints over topologies, to discriminate the paths over which the temporal behavior should be investigated; the paths that violate the multi-hop constraints are not considered. A model checking algorithm is presented to verify MANETs that allow arbitrary mobility, under the assumption of reliable communication. It is applied to analyze a leader election protocol.

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Notes

  1. With the semantics of the logic CACTL as given in [18], the property is satisfied, so that the error caused by E is not detected.

  2. Perkins, C., Ratliff, S., Dowdell, J., Steenbrink, L., Mercieca, V.: Ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODVv2) routing, https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-manet-aodvv2-11.

  3. The source code is available at https://github.com/fghassemi/CACTL.

  4. This encoding is available at http://www.fghassemi.adhoc.ir/downloads/leaderelection.zip.

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Acknowledgments

Jan Friso Groote provided vital support in our employment of the mCRL2 toolset. Saeide Ahmadi helped with the implementation of an earlier CACTL model checker, in Maude.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Fatemeh Ghassemi

  2. School of Computer Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran

    Fatemeh Ghassemi

  3. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wan Fokkink

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  1. Fatemeh Ghassemi
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  2. Wan Fokkink
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Correspondence to Fatemeh Ghassemi.

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Ghassemi, F., Fokkink, W. Model checking mobile ad hoc networks. Form Methods Syst Des 49, 159–189 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10703-016-0254-7

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