# Build-Launch-Consolidate Framework and Toolkit for Impact Analysis on Wireless Sensor Networks
## 3 Framework Overview  
In this section, we introduce a BLC framework that enables researchers to conduct replicable experiments under predefined conditions. The framework provides a systematic approach to conducting conclusive experiments on WSNs by considering varying factors that may impact its results' generalization. In the case of studying the impact of malicious attacks on WSNs, a researcher can leverage this framework to conduct structured experiments by considering different attack scenarios, network topologies, and attacker placements. The attack scenarios may be scaled in breadth by covering different attacks, or in depth by considering varying numbers of attackers carrying out the same attack. Figure 1 provides an illustration of the considerations of this framework. Further, we propose a set of tools that aid a researcher to conduct experiments according to this framework through the precise positioning of network nodes in the network, identifying their types, and extracting and summarizing key metrics. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Ref.** & **Tool** & **Base** & **Capabilities** & **Limitations** \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{[25]} & \multirow{2}{*}{Multi-Trace} & \multirow{2}{*}{Cooja simulator} & Multiple levels of data logging; & \multirow{2}{*}{Node placement and topology} \\  & & generating multiple simulations from a & single scenario. & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{[26]} & \multirow{2}{*}{ASSET} & \multirow{2}{*}{Cooja simulator} & Real-time visualization of topology; & \multirow{2}{*}{Manual node placement; summary} \\  & & provides 13 types of RPL attacks. & & results are not provided. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{[27]} & \multirow{2}{*}{ViTool-BC} & \multirow{2}{*}{Cooja simulator} & Real-time visualization of network & \multirow{2}{*}{Node placement and topology} \\  & & connections; heatmaps of energy & & \\ \multirow{2}{*}{consumption, and battery depletion.} & \multirow{2}{*}{} & \multirow{2}{*}{} & \multirow{2}{*}{} \\  & & consumption, and battery depletion. & & reported. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{[28]} & \multirow{2}{*}{PyFUNS} & \multirow{2}{*}{Python and CoAP API} & Allows multiple topologies and & \multirow{2}{*}{PDR and control overhead are not} \\  & & placements; and provides energy and & & reported. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{[29]} & \multirow{2}{*}{MINOS} & \multirow{2}{*}{Not specified} & Real-time visualization of network & \multirow{2}{*}{Power consumption is not reported; the} \\  & & connections; provides PDR and control & & results are presented at the node level. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Summary of studies that provide tools for analyzing WSN performance. Contiki [16] provided a Java-based simulator called Cooja [15], which facilitates network debugging and performance analysis, including power tracing and profiling. However, each scenario needs to be configured manually by specifying nodes' types and locations, run separately, and analyzed accordingly. The results collected during each simulation period provide detailed information about each node in the network. These results are often fragmented, limited, and hard to consolidate either at a holistic level or at an individual level. Analyzing both simultaneously is expected to provide further insights into how the overall network behaves during experiments. The framework offers structure and tools built upon three main components, as shown in Figure 2.  
The **Builder** provides flexible and precise generation of Cooja automated simulation files. It can handle different classes of nodes and place each node with precision to form consistent topologies with different scenarios. The **Launcher** allows the running of simulation files produced by the builder in masses, with proper labeling and storing of output log files. The **Consolidator** consolidates all output files into one master worksheet leveraging Power Query. It analyzes and calculates the metrics and statistics of each scenario.