# Integrated Evaluation of Reliability and Power Consumption of Wireless Sensor Networks
## 3 Methodology
For instance, the application behaviour does not change, the sensor node collects the same information (e.g., temperature), the topology is the same (e.g., hierarchical), among others. **Validation. ** It is necessary to validate the WSN before installing it on the field. This methodology uses the evaluation of the power consumption and reliability of the WSN as part of the validation process. The user may decide to evaluate one or a set of WSNs. If he/she wants to evaluate the power consumption and reliability of a single WSN, activity _Generate Power Consumption Models_ is automatic and yields CPN models that express the power consumption of the application (Section 4.1), network (Section 4.2) and sensor node (Section 4.3). These models are also evaluated (activity _Evaluate Power Consumption Models_) to estimate the power consumption, and whose results are used in the next activity, namely _Generate Reliability Models_. Similarly to the previous activity, activity _Generate Reliability Models_ is automatic and creates RBD models (Section 4.4) used to evaluate the WSN reliability. These models are created using information from the network design (e.g., WSN regions, sensor nodes and routing algorithm) and the reliability of the sensor nodes based on the power consumption results. After the RBD models are evaluated (activity _Evaluate Reliability Models_), all simulation results (power consumption and reliability) are presented to the user. Sometimes, it is necessary to evaluate the WSN with different parameters to see which WSN configuration satisfies what was planned. For example, communication protocol A has a power consumption better than communication Protocol B? The WSN reliability improves if the region A has ten sensor nodes instead of five? He/she must set the parameters (e.g., routing protocol) and their values (e.g., DIRECT and LEACH) in activity _Define the parameters and values_. The next activity (_Do Sensitivity Analysis_) automatically creates and evaluates the power consumption and reliability of all WSN configurations. After evaluating all WSNs created, it generates all WSNs, their respective results and impact of each parameter. The user must choose the WSN configuration that has the best results according to the criteria defined in the _Planning Document_. Finally, the user analyses the results produced by the evaluation process (_Analyse Simulation Results_). For example, he/she needs to verify if the WSN lifetime, WSN behaviour, the reliability of the regions, throughput and others information produced by the evaluation process are according to the WSN requirements defined in _Planning Document_. Then, the user decides to deploy the WSN in the field or repeats the whole process (phase _Planning and Development_). **Deployment. ** The last phase consists of deploying the WSN in the area as planned (activity _Deploy Application and Network_). If the user deploys a WSN with characteristics (e.g., the number of sensor nodes, the number of sink nodes, or routing protocols) different from what was planned, the WSN will not perform as it was designed, e.g., the WSN can consume more energy than expected. Thus, a new WSN planning must be done and evaluated.