Management through cross-layer design in mobile tactical networks

Mobile tactical networks are characterized by their extremely low bandwidth and require performance optimisations in order to support both voice and data traffic. In this paper, we propose a cross-layer architecture to achieve this. The proposed architecture maintains a clean horizontal interface between layers to maintain interoperability while also allowing layers to share their operational state through a vertical publish-subscribe interface. This vertical interface can be used to optimise local performance metrics while also enhancing network services such as network management. We evaluate the cross-layer architecture in a case study.