Towards Secure & Green Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

Towards Secure & Green Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

This paper deals with the design issues of a secure and green Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The first part of the paper suggests enhancing the reliability of AMI system using wireless ad hoc Network technology. The suggested Advanced Metering Infrastructure consists of various types of wireless nodes we called Green Wireless Router (GWR). Here, we propose that GWRs can harvest the energy needed for its work from the surrounding environment, especially solar energy. Such suggestion permits to install GWRs in any place without considering the power supply availability and hence, extensive area is covered by the AMI. The different network traffic patterns generated from running a customized AMI simulation model were used in an experimental network based mainly on UBICOM IP2022 network processor platform (as the implementation of the intended GWR)with the aim of measuring its power consumption under different realistic circumstances. In order to decrease the power consumption of the suggested GWR and to extend the life time of the batteries, two power management schemes we called Controlled Duty Cycling (CDC) and Event Driven Duty Cycling were suggested and implemented. The second part of the paper suggests a GWR security model to protect it against different internal and external threats. The suggested GWR security model must respond to many objectives, it should ensure that the administrative information exchanged is correct and undiscoverable (information authenticity and privacy), the source is who he claims to be (message integrity and source authentication) and the system is robust and available (using Cooperative Intrusion Detection System).