Logarithmic Store-Carry-Forward Routing in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Two schools of thought exist in terms of handling mobility in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). One is the traditional connection-based model, which views node mobility as undesirable and tries to either remove (through recovery schemes) or mask (through tolerant schemes) the effect of mobility. The other is the mobility-assisted model, which considers mobility as a desirable feature, where routing is based on the store-carry-forward paradigm with random or controlled movement of mobile nodes (called ferries). It is well known that mobility increases the capacity of MANETs by reducing the number of relays in routing. Surprisingly, only two models, diameter hop count in the connection-based model and constant hop count in the mobility-assisted model, which correspond to two extremes of the spectrum, have been systematically studied. In this paper, we propose a new routing model that deals with message routing, as well as trajectory planning, of the ferries that carry the message. A logarithmic number of relays are enforced to achieve a good balance among several contradictory goals, including increasing network capacity, increasing ferry sharing, and reducing moving distance. The model considers the dynamic control of ferries in terms of the number of ferries, trajectory planning of ferries, and node communication and synchronization. The effectiveness of the proposed model is evaluated analytically, as well as through simulation