[Tinyos-help] Random Number

[Chao Sun]

Matthias Gauger wrote:
> Hello Chao,
>
> On the one hand you want to avoid generating the same sequence of 
> random numbers each time you start your wireless sensor nodes and you 
> want to avoid predictability. On the other hand you want to reach a 
> global consensus among the nodes about the sequence of random numbers.
>
> Reaching the first goal should be possible with an external source of 
> randomness like used in TinyRNG. The second goal could be achieved by 
> using the same seed on all nodes for your RNG. Reaching both goals at 
> the same time sounds extremely hard. You are basically trying to solve 
> the consensus problem in distributed systems (with a particularly 
> difficult system model --> unreliable wireless sensor nodes)...
>
>
> Matthias
>
>
>> Now the problem is that I need to generate a sequence of random 
>> numbers for all the sensor nodes, that is, after initiation and 
>> generation of the numbers, every node knows exactly what these 
>> numbers are.
>> If I call the random number generator in the StdControl.init(), then 
>> each node may generate different numbers, and thus they can not 
>> achieve a consensus. Thus, do I have to generate these numbers via 
>> some outer programs and explicitly declare them in the node 
>> initiation? Is their any better methods?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Chao
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>
>
>
>
Hi Matthias,

Thanks for your help. I think I am trying to add some centralized thing 
to the distributed sensors. In fact, I am trying to implement a protocol 
in which certain number of data sources are distributed randomly in the 
network.
The first problem arises when I try to make each node randomly select 
itself as source, and the second problem arises when I want to globally 
sign the sources at initiation.

Chao