An Analysis of Epidemic Information Access in the PeopleNet Architecture

Abstract

In this paper, we look at the performance of epidemic information access in PeopleNet-like networks. PeopleNet is based on the idea of wireless virtual social networking, which mimics the way people find information via their social contacts. The basic idea is that people want easy access to information. Information, which is in high demand, can be collected and stored in a central repository or database, e.g., libraries, archives, and web sites. However, there are certain kinds of information which can neither be quantified nor categorized nicely. These kinds of information are typically location specific, community specific and even time-specific and are often found by asking your family, friends, colleagues or people you trust. Our architecture for PeopleNet consists of a multi-tiered architecture of mobile devices and access points, which allow users to navigate for information. We study and simulate the performance of an epidemic style of content dissemination and access in the PeopleNet networks. Our initial analysis indicates that PeopleNet can result in several orders of magnitude improvements over other naive proposals for wireless virtual social networking.