Ph.D. Thesis Defense

By

Huy T. Tran

(Advisor: Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris)

9:00 AM, Friday, September 25th, 2015

Weber Space Science and Technology Building (SST-II)

Collaborative Visualization Environment (CoVE)

A Complex Networks Approach to Designing Resilient System-of-Systems Networks

ABSTRACT:

System-of-systems (SoS) are becoming increasingly networked in an effort to provide new capabilities not possible with individual systems. However, this connectivity also introduces vulnerabilities to SoS that must be considered. This thesis addresses this problem by investigating the effects of node failures on SoS networks, and identifying methods for mitigating the effects of those failures.

A methodology is developed for designing resilient SoS networks. This methodology includes a capability-based resilience assessment framework, used to quantify SoS resilience. A complex networks approach is used to generate potential SoS network designs, focusing on scale-free and random network topologies, degree-based and random rewiring adaptation, and targeted and random node removal threats. Surrogate modeling methods are used to evaluate and optimize SoS networks for resilience.

The methodology is applied to an information exchange (IE) network model to demonstrate its use and identify resilient IE networks. Cost-benefit analysis of resilient and robust military command and control (C2) networks is also performed to compare the use of a resilience-based approach against a robustness-based approach. This analysis identifies conditions within which resilient C2 networks are more cost-efficient than robust ones.

Committee Members:

Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris (Advisor)

Prof. Eric Feron (AE)

Prof. Daniel P. Schrage (AE)

Prof. Jeff S. Shamma (ECE)

Dr. Jean Charles Domercant (AE)