MGP: Multi-Stage Grouped Probe Detection for Fault Localization in Vehicle-to-Ground Communication Networks

The Vehicle-to-Ground (V2G) emergency communication network is a dedicated network established to respond to emergencies, such as natural disasters and traffic accidents, and it plays a crucial role in ensuring the safe and smooth operation of vehicles. Composed of numerous devices, this network is inevitably exposed to failure risks due to prolonged operation, complex designs, and insufficient management and maintenance. Faults in network nodes may undermine the reliability of vehicle-to-ground communication. Rapid fault localization is critical to the maintenance and management of network device. However, current localization methods face issues like excessively long probing paths, high localization costs, and low accuracy—all of which lead to subpar performance in real-world fault localization scenarios. To address these problems, we introduce a novel Multi-stage Group Probe (MGP) localization method, designed to balance localization cost and accuracy effectively. Specifically, we first present a network localization model and the concept of "uncertain information volume of network node states," which quantifies the cost and efficiency of localization. Second, leveraging graph theory, we propose the idea of network probing subgraphs and constrain the number of probing stations and probe lengths, while developing algorithms for selecting probing stations and planning probing paths. Additionally, we introduce a group probe localization method that incorporates information feedback to reduce costs. Finally, we evaluate the MGP against other probe localization approaches across different networks. Experimental results demonstrate that MGP outperforms comparative methods in terms of localization cost, accuracy, and efficiency.