ESCANET WEEKLY SEMINAR SERIES
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ESCANET WEEKLY SEMINAR SERIES

(please invite a fellow researcher)

Date: 27th April 2022

Where: online zoom

Start at: 12pm

 

Presenter1:

Research Topic: A Multifactor Authentication and Integrity Approach For E-Learning Assessments.

Names: Hilda Mpirirwe

Supervisor(s): Dr. Drake P. Mirembe (PhD)

Prof. Jude Lubega

Academic institution: Makerere University

 

Presenter2:

Research Topic: An Early Warning prediction model for reduction of landslides effects

Names: Sylvia Namwano

Supervisor(s): Prof. Jude T. Lubega, Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe and Dr. Damali Akwango

Academic institution: Nkumba University

Drake Mirembe is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/8670950767?pwd=UTVsUGgyRjgvRG9GRmpoQUxHeWJqZz09

Meeting ID: 867 095 0767
Passcode: 224836

 

Seminar Series Presentations : Jerome Birungi
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Academic institution: Makerere University

Research Topic: Ethernet Loop Avoidance Protocol with Multi-path and Traffic Engineering

Names: Jerome Birungi

Supervisor(s): Dr. Johnson Mwebaze (PhD)

Dr. Drake P. Mirembe (PhD)

 

Scheduled: 4 August 2021 from 12pm – 2pm.

 

Abstract

Ethernet is the most predominant technology used in today’s local area networks because its hardware is affordable, easy to configure and adapts to new technologies. This has made pure switch-based networks become common in modern networks like Data centers. To improve Ethernet LAN availability, network designers are moving towards implementing a partial or full mesh topology consisting of LAN switches. These multiple connections between switches create looped network paths causing multiple duplication of broadcast frames and endless circulation of broadcast frames in a LAN forming broadcast storms that can clog or even crush the network.

Multiple protocols have been developed to prevent Ethernet loops. These include; Spanning Tree Protocol, Media Redundancy Protocol, Parallel Redundancy Protocol, Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links and Shortest Path Bridging.

Spanning Tree Protocol has convergence issues in case of topology changes, limits network capacity as some links are blocked by the tree formed to forward frames and its performance degrades as the number of nodes increase. Media Redundancy Protocol is only applicable in ring networks, Parallel redundancy protocol requires investment in a dual LAN, TRILL and SPB use Intermediate System to Intermediate System routing protocol to forward frames. One of the research areas is how to support provider backbone Bridge traffic engineering in case of TRILL.

The research objective is to design a protocol that prevents loops in Ethernet networks by carrying loop avoidance information within the header of an Ethernet frame. This is to be achieved by; (i) investigating the optimal requirements for an efficient Ethernet loop avoidance protocol, (ii) Designing an algorithm that uses the domain and local Identifier to prevent loops and (iii) Evaluating the proposed protocol in terms of; Ethernet loop/ broadcast storm control, using fastest path to deliver unicast frames and offering redundancy in case of link failure-Multipath.

The key research questions are (i) What are the ideal requirements of an efficient loop avoidance protocol? (ii) Is it feasible to add loop avoidance information to the Ethernet header (iii) How does the proposed protocol achieve broadcast storm control?

Through an in-depth analysis of the Ethernet frame structure and existing Ethernet loop protocols, a new frame structure is proposed that contains loop control logic namely domain Identifier, local Identifier and payload type. There after applying simple processing rules on this control logic to prevent loops and forward unicast and broadcast frames. Objective modular testbed in C++ (OMNET++) provided an infrastructure to write, simulate and evaluate the algorithm. The evaluation of the algorithm was based on Ethernet loop/ broadcast storm control, use of fastest path to deliver unicast frames and offering redundancy in case of link failure-Multipath.

During simulation, it was observed that broadcast traffic creates a transient behavior that dies out within a short period of time implying that no more broadcast frames are received by switches in the LAN. Also point to point traffic between switches is sent using the fastest path and lastly since multiple paths to a given host are already known/learnt in case of a link failure alternative path is available for use without need for the network to converge.

This report describes a protocol for Ethernet loop avoidance that maintains Layer 2 simplicity with no routing as used in TRILL and Shortest Path Bridging or BPDUs as used in STP. Secondly, none of the multiple paths to each host are not blocked. This is achieved by carrying loop avoidance information within an Ethernet frame and applying some simple processing rules.

Future work includes (i) creation of domains with variable number of switches as currently each domain can have up to a maximum of 32 switches. (ii) Performance analysis of the protocol’s traffic engineering capabilities (iii) Support for multipath load balancing in cases where more than one path with the same cost exist to a given host. (iv) The last field of study is how multicast traffic is handled as the protocol was only tested on unicast and broadcast frames

Seminar Series Presentations : Hilda Mpirirwe
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Academic institution: Makerere University

Research Topic: A MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION AND INTEGRITY APPROACH FOR E-LEARNING ASSESSMENTS.

Names: Hilda Mpirirwe

Supervisor(s): Dr. Drake P. Mirembe (PhD)

Prof. Jude Lubega

Scheduled: 28 July 2021 from 12pm – 2pm.

Seminar Series Presentations : Kato Jacob
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Academic institution: Makerere University
Research Topic: A bioacoustics Stimuli Technology to control birds away from Cereal grains [Rice] fields
Names: Kato Jacob
Supervisor(s): Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe and Dr. Odong Stephen
Abstract:
Agriculture is the largest economic sector in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with 70% of rural households depending on it as a source of their livelihood, In 2003, the African Head of States signed a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to promote agriculture in Africa [3]. and it was recommitted under the 2014 Malabo Declaration with an aim of achieving 6% of annual agricultural increment to reach 10 % agriculture share, eliminating hunger and halving poverty by 2025 [4], which is aligned in the Africa’s Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) respectively.
In Uganda, like in Africa, agriculture remains the major source of livelihood for the bigger portion of the population and the major challenge in African countries (Uganda inclusive) is under funding the sector with 5.4 % of budget allocation from 2009/10 – 2014/2015.
The major cereals crops grown in Africa include maize, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, wheat, and rice, and they are major staple foods for the most population in Africa [2] and Maize is a major staple food crop grown in diverse agro-ecological zones and farming systems in SSA, followed by Sorghum, Millet, rice and wheat. Rice consumption in Africa has increased faster than that of any other food staple at about 5.5% per year and this increase is driven by urbanization, changes in eating habits, and population growth [11]. The demand for milled rice in Sub Saharan Africa is expected to increase by 30 Metric tons by 2035, equivalent to an increase of 130% in rice consumption [11].
Despite of the fact that Ugandan government through Uganda National Rice Development Strategy (UNRDS) is empowering farmers to increase on the rice production, farmers are still facing different challenges in the production [18]. The challenges farmers are currently facing during rice production in Uganda include, amongst others:
1. Land Tenure System- the cost of renting land for rice growing due to lack of collateral
2. Limited knowledge on rice production
3. Rice pests and diseases
4. Lack of proper post-harvest handling facilities
5. Inadequate equipment for rice farming and most Sub-counties do not even have a tractor for hire.
6. Unreliable weather patterns
7. Poor quality and expensive rice seeds given to farmers.
8. Difficulty in mobilizing the farmers for training/ farmer field schools
9. Lack of capital for inputs like seedlings, fertilizers,
10. Fake agro-inputs (particularly fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides) on the market.
11. Inadequate storage facilities and fluctuating rice prices
12. ‘Stubborn’ weeds: for example Echinocloa colona, which looks like rice
The research work will focus on bird pests since they destroy cereal crops massively during the milking stage. Rice pests include snails, worms, rats and birds; rice diseases include rice yellow mottle virus and rice blast fungus. If not controlled properly, these pests and diseases can destroy the crop while still in the field leading to severe pre-harvest losses. And the focus will be on red-billed Quelea is one of the most notorious pest bird species in the world that damage to various cereal crops such as rice, millet, sorghum and wheat [28] and they gather in flocks of million birds. They are considered as the most abundant birds worldwide with population totaling to about 1.5 billion at the end of the breeding season
Different bird deterrents methods have been developed and categorized as auditory methods (that cause a noise nuisance) and alternative methods (noise free). The auditory methods include gas cannons, pyrotechnics, bioacoustics, acoustics, ultrasound and high intensity sound while the alternative methods is further categorized as visual, chemical, exclusion, habitat modification and lethal techniques
Proposal This research proposal proposes a bioacoustics stimuli system that will control birds from causing damage to rice fields using voice recognition, micro camera, and sensors to detect the presence of birds with minimum noise produced.
Objectives
The main objective of this research proposal is to study the behaviors of birds that feed on cereals specifically rice grains; and design and develop a low cost, and environment friendly bioacoustics stimuli system that will easily be adopted by farmers to scare birds away from the cereal crop fields.
The research work will be carried out in Eastern part of Uganda specifically in Butalega and Bugiri Districts and the focus will be on the most notorious grain eating birds called Quelea quelea birds in 10 rice farms.

 

Scheduled: 21 July 2021 from 12pm – 2pm.

Seminar Series Presentations
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Researcher 1: Mugisha Annet Kajura

Research : Information Communication Technology and Enhancement of Active Teaching and Learning in selected Public Teacher Training Institutions in Uganda

Supervisors: Prof. Jude Lubega and Dr John Paul Kasujja

14 July 2021

12pm – 2pm

and

Researcher 2: Paul Ssagala

Research : Automated sweet potatoes leaf identification and disease detection

Supervisors:

Dr.Drake P. Mirembe (PhD).

Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa (Ph.D)

14 July 2021

12pm – 2pm

The 6th NCC Conference
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The 6th National Conference on Communications (NCC) will be held in Kampala, Uganda, from 21st – 22nd January 2021.

The NCC provides an opportunity to build capacity and strengthen the academia and industry communities in communications particularly in the research of locally relevant solutions. The NCC provides students, researchers, developers, and practitioners with a platform to address new research challenges, share solutions and discuss issues relevant to the communications sector of Uganda. The NCC will also host keynote and invited speakers to share their views on technical paper sessions.

The NCC National conference is calling for papers in all relevant areas of communication engineering and ICTs.

This event will be hosted at Makerere university, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), all researchers, students and well-wishers are encouraged to attend. for more information please visit the NCC page on http://ncc.co.ug/

Upcoming seminar presentations. Starting Next week Friday 30th October 2020 from 2pm – 3pm.
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  1. Jjumba Abdu Karim

Thesis: ENFORCING SECURITY IN IT/OT CONVERGED SYSTEMS

Research Area: CyberSecurity

  1. Job Matovu

Thesis: A Secure Framework to Mitigate Transaction Fabrication Attacks in Mobile Payment Systems

University: Makerere University – MUK

Research Area: Mobile security

  1. Hilda Mpirirwe

Thesis: A MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION AND INTEGRITY APPROACH FOR E-LEARNING ASSESSMENTS

University: Makerere University – MUK

Research Area: Technology Mediated Learning