Study of Verification of the Reputation Scaling Module of Trust Management System

The trust management system (TMS) developed through this research effectively implements a decentralized access and permission management scheme. The Reputation Scaling module (RSM) was the heart of the TMS. Our Reputation Scaling module applied different levels of trust to reports and observations. RSM advanced the current state of the art by introducing a reputation scaling mechanism that maintained a memory of past behavior grades and observers. The RSM used this historical knowledge to apply the observer's current RI to any behavior grade he might have made. In addition to dynamic FI weighting, the RSM's 3Win reputation scaling equation provided a more conservative approximation, allowing smaller fluctuations in the node's reputation than other equations currently in use. This testing concluded that this conservative approach benefited the network because it forced nodes to sustain positive behavior for longer periods than was necessary in the WMA or other reputation management mechanisms to achieve the same positive reputation. Each node gathered and processed feedback to calculate a usable RI for its peers. The TMS implemented an Trust model to represent the reputations that were compiled by a node on each of its peers.