Mobile ad hoc networks: a hybrid approach for the selection of super peers

The classic dilemma of decentralization versus centralization made the choice of an organizational structure for mobile ad hoc networks challenging. Related research on peer-to-peer networks has led to the development of the super peer model. In this paper, we study the use of super peer models in mobile ad hoc networks emphasizing the selection of super peers and propose a novel hybrid selection algorithm. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Compared to the lowest ID algorithm, empirical results show reductions of 35% in leadership switching, 89% in the maximum service time (i.e. a measure of load balance), and 79% in selecting unqualified nodes, and a gain of 16% on the mean time between successive switches. The proposed algorithm achieves significant improvement on network stability and load balance.