Ahlem Mifdaoui

Research Projects

MIFDAOUI Ahlem — 2012-08-30T12:25:44Z

ASTAC-AMIL (2007-2008)

Performance evaluation of current civil avionics technologies and architectures for military avionics applications in terms of QoS, Reliability and integration costs.

Partners ISAE, IRCCyN, IRIT, ONERA,LAAS-CNRS, CEAT
Participants Frédéric Boniol, Christian Fraboul, Fabrice Frances and Ahlem Mifdaoui

MARTIAC (2008-2009)

In order to address the increasing complexity of embedded applications, the current solution consists in increasing the number of computers to have more resources and to add new functions. However, this approach leads to an increasing amount of exchanged data and an inherent complexity of system interconnects that make the real time guarantees difficult to assess. Hence, one of the main challenges is to rethink the architecture of embedded computers to improve the performances of new generation avionics applications while respecting certification constraints. The aim of this project is to define and compare some alternative architectures based on multiprocessors for avionics applications.

Partners ISAE, IRIT, ONERA,LAAS-CNRS, AIRBUS
Participants Ahlem MIFDAOUI, Fabrice Frances , Régine LECONTE

ADCN+ (2008-2009)

The AFDX network (Avionics Full Duplex switched Ethernet), as used on the A380, the 400M and the A350, is based on switched Ethernet technology, adapted to avionics standard in order to guarantee the safety and availability of the network for critical avionics systems. One of the major features of the AFDX network is to guarantee the isolation between the different traffic flows due to Virtual Links concept and Traffic policers within the switches. These AFDX switches are expensive and complex components to implement. The objective of this project is to propose alternative network solutions for a backup network (used in case of a major fault of the main AFDX network), based on Ethernet interconnection elements that are simpler than the AFDX switches, and providing deterministic guarantees. The proposed networks are evaluated on a performance analysis perspective, and applied to a typical A380 case.

Partners ISAE, IRIT, ONERA,LAAS-CNRS, AIRBUS
Participants Ahlem Mifdaoui, Fabrice Frances, Alkhasawneh Abdallah

SyMADE (2010-2012)

The aim of this project is to design and evaluate the performances of a new sensors/actuators network for train and aircraft in order to improve modularity, scalability and simplify wiring, compared to existing networks, while guaranteeing determinism and availability.

Partners Beta-Tech, Systerel, ISAE, ELECTRA
Participants Ahlem Mifdaoui, Fabrice Frances, Jérôme Hugues and Miloud Rached

APeNISS (2011-2014)

The aim of this project is to define and optimize a design methodology for embedded systems to enhance the performances while reducing integration and maintenance costs. This methodology is applied in the specific case of wireless technologies integration for critical avionics applications, named « fly by wireless ».

Partners ISAE, LAAS-CNRS, PRES-région
Participants Dinh Khanh Dang, Ahlem Mifdaoui, Thierry Gayraud

OMCEN (Optimization of Multi-Cluster Embedded Networks) (2011-2014)

The objective of this project is to allow the designer to : (i) analyze the performance of end to end communication architecture based on heterogeneous embedded networks ; (ii) to optimize the performances of communication architectures to meet the system requirements through the design of specific gateways. Realistic avionics architecture, based on AFDX network as a backbone and CAN or MIL-STD1553B technologies as sensors/actuators networks, is considered to validate these proposals.

Partners ISAE, IRIT
Participants Hamdi Ayed, Ahlem Mifdaoui, Christian Fraboul

WoPANets (Worst Case Performance Analysis of Embedded Networks) (2012-2014)

The aim of WOPANets Tool is to offer an ergonomic interface for the designer to describe graphically the network and the circulating traffic and to analyze the worst case performances of such proposal using the Network Calculus theory. Furthermore, to cope with this large design space, optimization analysis are integrated to reduce the exploration space size and to give optimal solutions according to the designer criteria (costs, temporal behavior, safety…).

Partners ISAE, TTT, ANR Emergence 2012
Participants Ahlem Mifdaoui, Leo Martel, Fabrice Frances, Alexandre Hamez

Publications

MIFDAOUI Ahlem — 2009-04-22T11:31:25Z

- Ahlem Mifdaoui

Edito

MIFDAOUI Ahlem — 2009-04-22T10:06:36Z

Sommaire

ISAE/DMIA

10 avenue Edouard Belin BP 54032 - 31055 Toulouse cedex 4

Tél. +33 5 61 33 90 90 Fax. +33 5 61 33 91 88

email : ahlem.mifdaoui isae.fr

Short VITAE

Ahlem Mifdaoui received the M.S. degree in computer science and air traffic management engineering in 2004 from the Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation civile (ENAC) in Toulouse, and the Ph.D. in computer and telecommunications engineering from the Institut National Polytechnique of Toulouse (INPT) in 2007.

Since 2008, she is an associate professor of computer engineering at Institut Superieur de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE) in Toulouse, France. Her main research interests are in the fields of real-time networks and embedded systems especially targeted to avionics and automotive applications.

Research Interests

Ahlem Mifdaoui is involved in design, optimization, performance evaluation and tools for real-time and embedded networks

Design and optimization of embedded networks

With the increasing complexity of embedded networks, making the right design decisions to guarantee the system's requirements becomes a difficult task for designer. Hence, one of the major challenges in the design process is to define and optimize the system's resources till the first steps of the development cycle, in order to provide the deterministic guarantees required by critical applications with hard certification requirements, e.g. civil and military avionics, automotive and satellites.

Related Projects : SYMADE, OMCEN, APENISS

Performance evaluation of real-time networks Validating the functional and timing behavior of real-time networks and especially rare events that represent the worst case functioning of the system, through analytical approaches based on Network Calculus and Scheduling Theory.

Related Projects : ASTAC-AMIL, MARTIAC, ADCN+

Tools and framework for embedded Networks

WoPANets tool embodies an analytical approach based on the Network Calculus formalism to perform a system level worst-case performance evaluation and includes optimization analysis to find the optimal design solution that guarantees the system's requirements. This tool would enhance the design process time and costs. (more information in this link)
PRISE (Plateforme de Recherche sur l'Ingénierie des Systèmes Embarqués) : a framework to integrate the different models, techniques and tools to design and validate Embedded Systems (more information in this link)

Research Projects

Research Projects List here

Publications

Publications list here

Google scholar Profile

Invited Lectures and Talks

January 2013, ONERA : invited talk about WoPANets Tool Tool
April 2012, Porto : invited talk about « Avionics embedded networks : challenges and solutions » during a meeting about « Serv-CPS » project (Time Ethernet Communication Architecture for Cyber-Physical Systems)
February 2012, Berlin : invited Talk at First Interdisciplinary Workshop on Algorithmic Challenges in Real-Time Systems about « System level worst-case performance evaluation of embedded Networks »
October 2008, Stuttgart : invited Keynote about « Master/Slave Switched Ethernet for military applications »
Mars 2007, Paris : invited talk during Rescom days about « Full Duplex Switched Ethernet for Military avionics applications »

Supervising

Phd Students

Hamdi AYED : Phd Student working on « Optimization and performance analysis of multi-cluster embedded networks » within OMCEN project (2011-2014)
Dinh khanh DANG : Phd student working on « System-level performance evaluation of new generation embedded systems »with an application on "wireless communications for critical avionics systems" within APENISS project (2011-2014)

Post-doc

Miloud RACHED : Post-doc working on « Design and Performance evaluation of an alternative communication network for train based on Ethernet » within SYMADE project (2010-2012)

Engineer

Leo Martel : Engineer working on the implementation of the WoPANets Tool project

Master Students

Rachid Djorane : Master Student working on « PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AVIONICS SENSORS NETWORKS » within SYMADE project (2012-2013)
Alkhasawneh Abdallah : Master Student working on « AFDX backup Network » within ADCN+ project (2008-2009)
Benjamin Lencou : Master student working on « GUI for WoPANets Tool » (2011)
Amady Diouf Faye : Master student working on « Optimization analysis within WoPANets Tool Tool » (2011)

Teaching

Current

Performance Evaluation of Embedded Networks : for 3A ISAE, 3A Enseeiht, Master MES ISAE and Master AESS ISAE students
Real Time Scheduling for Embedded Systems : for 3A ISAE students
Avionics and Data Buses : for Master AESS ISAE students

Past

Advanced Network Architectures : for 3A ISAE, students
Performance Evaluation Techniques : for 3A ISAE, students
Queuing Theory : for 2A ENAC students

Others

Member of Research Group WEED
Regular reviewer for « IEEE transactions on Industrial Informatics »
Regular reviewer for « IEEE Transactions on Computers »
Regular reviewer for « Chinese Journal of Aeronautics »
TCP member in WIP RTAS 2013, CPSNA 2013, ISWTA 2013, VtRES 2013