Tham, Chen Khong's Webpage

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
National University of Singapore

 

Joint appointment as:

Lead Scientist

Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), Singapore

 

Overview of this page

 

Introduction and Research Interests

I am an Associate Professor in the Computer & Information Engineering (CIE) Group at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore.  I lecture courses and conduct research in the field of computer networks and distributed systems, focussing on the following areas:

  • Coordinated Quality of Service (QoS)
    integrated network- and server/application-level QoS mechanisms and their proactive management, in wired, wireless, sensor networks, and distributed systems, e.g. computational grids
  • Resource allocation in resource-constrained networks, e.g. wireless multi-hop and access networks
  • Integrated sensor networks and grid computing (SensorGrid)
  • Scheduling, traffic management and congestion control in computer networks
  • Scalable video delivery to heterogeneous client devices

I am also interested in intelligent and learning systems, focussing on:

  • Markov decision processes (MDP), dynamic programming (DP)
  • Sensor and decision fusion in sensor networks
  • Machine learning, especially reinforcement learning (RL)/neuro-dynamic programming (NDP)
  • Multi-agent systems (MAS) and coordination
  • Modular neural networks, e.g. Hierarchical Mixtures of Experts (HME), for prediction, pattern recognition and control.

I am the Programme Manager of the Singapore Agency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR) Thematic Strategic Research Programme (TSRP) on Ultra-Wideband (UWB)-enabled Sentient Computing.

I am the Laboratory Supervisor of the Computer Networks & Distributed Systems (CNDS) Laboratory at ECE Dept, NUS.

In June and October 2004, and July 2005, I visited the University of Melbourne, Australia, as a Universitas 21 Fellow.

Past commitments

I was involved with the Laboratory for Concurrent Engineering & Logistics (LCEL) at the Faculty of Engineering, NUS, and the Singapore Advanced Research and Education Network (SingAREN) where I was the Manager for Advanced Applications from Sept 1997 till August 1999.  Currently, I am an Associate of SingAREN and am still active in SingAREN-funded projects.

Up till 31 Dec 2001, I was a Resident Fellow and Domestic Bursar of Eusoff Hall, one of the six halls of residence at NUS.

Lecture Courses

I lecture the following courses to graduate and undergraduate students at NUS:

·         Semester 2
EE5910 Multimedia Networking

 

 

Funded Research Projects

Principal Investigator of the following projects:
UWB-enabled Sentient Computing Architecture & Middleware with Coordinated QoS (USCAM-CQ) (A*STAR UWB-SC TSRP)
Stream Processing for Machine Learning & Control (NUS ARF Grant)

Completed funded projects
Managing Differentiated Services in Networks and Applications on the Quality of Service Backbone (QBone) (NSTB Broadband 21 Grant).
Quality of Service (QoS) Management in Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)  Networks (Collaborative research with IBM Emerging Technology Center (ETC))
A Distributed Object Architecture for Material Requirements Planning and Real Time Job Shop Scheduling (NUS ARF Grant)
Scalable Video Multicast to Heterogeneous Receivers over Diverse Networks (NUS ARF Grant)
Generalized Multi Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) - A Framework for Control and Management of ONFIG Testbed, Optical Networks Focussed Interest Group (ONFIG) (A*STAR Grant, PI: Dr Jit Biswas, LIT; ECE: Dr Mohan G)
Development of a Complex Disease Risk Assessment (CD-RAS) System as Exemplified by the Coronary Artery Disease Risk Assessment (CADRA) System (Phase II) (NSTB Grant; PI: Dr Heng Chew Kiat, Dept of Paediatrics; Assoc PI: Dr Javier Cabrera, Dept of Statistics)
Integration of Factory Networks and Coordinated Planning for E-Manufacturing (NUS ARF Grant)
Quality of Service (QoS) Backbone for Video Streaming and Other Applications (NSTB Broadband Grant & NUS ARF Grant, PI: Assoc Prof A L Ananda, Centre for Internet Research, NUS) (Note: Phase 2 of this project has been subsumed under the "Managing DiffServ ..." project indicated above)
DNA Microarrays for Biomedical Applications (NUS ARF Grant; PI: Prof Gopalakrishnakone, Dept of Anatomy)
Quality of Service (QoS)-based Network Management in ATM Networks (Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS)-NUS) [note: TAS is now part of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)]
Simulation Studies of Interconnected LAN and ATM Networks (NUS ARF)
Performance Evaluation of B-ISDN Networks (NUS-Singapore Telecom)
 

Publications & Seminars (with links to papers in PDF format)

Click here for details 


 

Technical Conferences

I am chairing the 2nd Workshop on Coordinated Quality of Service in Distributed Systems (COQODS-II) which will be held in conjunction with IEEE ICON 2006.  Click here for the Call for Papers.

 

Past Commitments

Program Committee of the following conferences:
IFIP/IEEE MMNS 2004, IEEE ISWCS 2004, IEEE IPCCC 2004: EESD 2004, IEEE LCN 2004: EmNetS-I, IEEE ICON 2004, IEEE ICCS 2004 and ICML 04.

Chairman of the Workshop on Coordinated Quality of Service in Distributed Systems (COQODS) which was held in conjunction with IEEE ICON 2004.  Click here for the Call for Papers

Program Committee and Publicity Co-Chairman of the 6th IFIP/IEEE International Conference on Management of Multimedia Networks and Services (MMNS 2003), Belfast, Northern Ireland, from 7-10 Sept 2003.

Technical Program Co-Chairman, IEEE International Conference on Networks (ICON 2000), Singapore from 5-8 Sept 2000. (I had also served in the Organizing Committees of SICON'97 and SICON'98 which were the predecessors to ICON.)

 

Student Projects

I supervise the following projects at various levels.  Current ongoing projects are:

  • Ph.D.
    New students: Hu Zhengqing, Ai Xin (co-supervised with Dr Vikram Srinivasan), Robert Hoes (with TU/e)
    Distributed Machine Learning in Sensor Networks (Yeow Wai Leong, co-supervised by Prof Lawrence Wong, I2R/ECE)
    Integrated Computational and Network QoS in Grid Computing (Ang Chee Wei)
    Computation Scheduling with Network QoS in a Grid Computing Environment (Andrei Tolstikov, co-supervised by Dr Jit Biswas, I2R)
    Examined and Passed:
    Conformance Analysis through Burstiness Characterization using a Stochastic Calculus (Liu Yong)
    Generalized Minimum Queueing Delay scheduling algorithm & Control Theoretic Bandwidth Allocation (Ngin Hoon Tong)
    Delay Characteristics of Probabilistic Priority Service Discipline (Jiang Yuming)
  • M.Eng.
    Current students: Jean-Christophe Renaud, Jean-Yves Saoseng
    QoS in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks (David Chetret, co-supervised with Prof Lawrence Wong, I2R)
    Recent completed projects:
    Integrated Computational and Network QoS in Grid Computing (Gokul Poduval)
    QoS in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks (Lai Kok Siong)
    Achieving Proportional Probabilistic Priority (PPP) and Statistical QoS using a Network Processor (Tan Chee Wei)
    QoS Provisioning in Wireless IP Networks (Timothy Hui)
    Adaptive Routing in Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (Marwaha Shivanajay, co-supervised by Dr Dipti Srinivasan)
    A Probing Request-based Resource Reservation Scheme for Multi-Domain DiffServ Networks (Michael Yuan)
    Policy Based QoS Management in DiffServ Networks (Zhang Yi)
    Differentiated Services in Application Servers (V Subramaniam)
    Statistical Pattern Recognition for Analysis of DNA Microarrays (Chin Wei Chuen)
    Differentiated Services in End Hosts (Wang Chunyan)
    Congestion Control in IP Multicast Networks (Gan Yung Sze)
    Extensions to Mobile IP using MPLS (Ren Zhong)
    Probabilistic Priority Scheduling for Differentiated Services (Yao Qi)
    Scalable Video Client and Proxy (Raymond Chow)
    Distributed Real-Time Applications (Lou Ruian)
    Criteria-based Connection Set-up in ATM Networks (Tan Sin Lam) [part-time]
  • M.Sc.
    Neuro-Dynamic Programming (NDP) for Achieving QoS in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks (Amit Kharb)
    Measurement-based Admission Control using Embedded Measurement Probes (Albert Yu Haobo)
    Recent completed project:
    Distributed Real-Time Neural-based Robot Control (Francis Phang, Peter Stephens)
  • B.Eng. EE4 Final Year
    Multicast QoS in Overlay over DiffServ Networks (Li Jinhua)
    Differentiated Service in Computational Grids (Yeow Wai Leong, Lam Chin Siong)
    NDP for Path Selection in GMPLS Networks (Jonathan Tan Poey Guan)
    Resource Reservation and Protection in GMPLS Optical Networks (Yeaz Jaddoo, Lu Jia)
    DiffServ in MANET (Lai Kok Siong)
    Bluetooth Stack in Embedded System (Daniel Yagan)
    Multicast Layered Marking for Scalable Video Delivery (Titus Hoon)
    QoS in Wireless LAN Access of DiffServ Networks (Ying Fengwei)
    Previous years:
    QoS Management in MPLS Networks, contd. (Paul Ng)
    QoS Management in QBone, contd. (He Youming)
    Differentiated Services in Web Servers (Ong Eng Hong)
    Distributed Data Mining for CAD Risk Assessment (Lim Yah Ling)
    E-Manufacturing and E-Supply Chain (Jean Ng)
    QoS Management in MPLS Networks (Tan Chee Wei, joint supervision with KRDL)
    QoS Management in MPLS Networks (Benjamin Koh)
    QoS Management in QBone (Wong Teck Piaw)
    Bioinformatics System for DNA Microarray (Justin Chan)
    Java-based Simulation of Manufacturing System using Petri Nets (Chris Choy)
    E-Manufacturing Portal for Collaborative Planning (Lim Yi Wei)
    Scalable Video Client handling Resource Reservation and Adaptation (Rajesh Sabari, Yu Jiunn Pyng, Johann Annuar)
    Distributed Neural Agents for QoS Management (Ranjan Jha)
    Simulation of Integrated DiffServ and MPLS Networks (Eric Wong)
    Pattern Recognition of DNA Microarrays using Neural Networks (Chin Wei Chuen)
    QoS Monitoring and Management (Rohit Joshi)
    Material Requirements Planning using Java and J2EE (V Subramaniam)
    Job Shop Scheduling using Java and Jini (Neo Wee Siang)
  • B.Tech. Final Year
    Previous years:
    Secure Plug-and-Play (Tan Kwang Pon)
    Embedded Real Time System (Steve Tan)
    Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) (Peter Lim)
    Web-based Network Management (Danny Lim)
    Linux-based Distributed Network Fault Monitoring System (Jeanne Eng)

Details of recent completed student projects can be found here.

 

Short Biography

I joined the Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore in 1995.  Before that, I pursued my Ph.D. studies (completed in end-1994) on Information Sciences Engineering, focussing on Online Function Approximation for Scaling Up Reinforcement Learning, at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK.  Prior to that, I was an IT Consultant with Andersen Consulting (now known as Accenture) and a Quality & Reliability Engineer with Hewlett-Packard.  I received my M.A. and B.A. (Honours) in Electrical & Information Sciences Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK, in 1993 and 1990, respectively.  I look after the Computer Networks & Distributed Systems (CNDS) Laboratory at the Department of ECE, NUS, and was the Manager for Advanced Applications at the Singapore Advanced Research & Education Network (SingAREN) from 1997 to 1999.

 

Contact Information

E-mail addresses
   Work: eletck@nus.edu.sg
           Personal: cktham2@hotmail.com

Web address (this page)
http//www.ece.nus.edu.sg/stfpage/eletck/

Mailing Address
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
10, Kent Ridge Crescent,
Singapore 119260.

Office Location
Block E4, Level 8, Room 6, 
Faculty of Engineering,
National University of Singapore.

Office Phone
(+65) 6874 7959

Office Fax
(+65) 6779 1103
(+65) 6777 3117
 

Last updated: June 2006