Fault Tolerance Structures in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs): Survey, Classification, and Future Directions

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Network Engineering

Background:

• Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) integrates technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs).
• WSNs are crucial for real-time applications demanding high fault tolerance (FT) for reliability and integrity.
• Existing FT mechanisms require enhancement to meet the demands of evolving IoT systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an elaborate classification and analysis of fault tolerance structures in WSNs.
• To enhance existing reviews of FT systems by proposing a new categorization based on novel metrics.
• To analyze existing FT techniques based on eight constraints and identify open issues.

Main Methods:

• Conducting an extensive survey and analysis of fault tolerance structures and their components in WSNs.
• Categorizing errors from multiple perspectives.
• Presenting an extensive analysis of existing fault tolerance techniques based on eight constraints.
• Developing an enhanced categorization for FT systems using metrics such as sensor node count and algorithm placement.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive classification and analysis of WSN fault tolerance structures and error types.
• An extensive review of existing FT techniques against eight constraints.
• A proposed enhanced categorization for FT systems, offering a novel comparison taxonomy.
• Identification of open issues and future research directions in WSN fault tolerance.

Conclusions:

• Fault tolerance is a critical requirement for WSNs in IR 4.0 applications.
• Existing FT mechanisms need substantial enhancements for improved network reliability and integrity.
• The proposed enhanced categorization and analysis provide a foundation for future research in WSN fault tolerance.