An on-demand QoS routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks

We propose a on-demand bandwidth routing protocol for QoS (quality of service) support in mobile ad hoc networks. The QoS routing feature is important for a mobile network to interconnect wired networks with QoS support (e.g., ATM, Internet, etc.). The QoS routing protocol can also work in a stand-alone mobile ad hoc network for real-time applications. Under such a routing protocol, the source (or the ATM gateway) is informed of the bandwidth and QoS available to any destination in the mobile network. This knowledge enables the establishment of QoS connections within the mobile network and the efficient support of real time applications. In addition, it enables more efficient call admission control. In case of ATM interconnection, the bandwidth information can be used to carry out intelligent handoff between ATM gateways and/or to extend the ATM virtual circuit service to the mobile network with possible renegotiation of QoS parameters at the gateway. Simulation results suggest distinct performance advantages of our protocol calculating the bandwidth information. It is particularly useful in call admission control. Furthermore, "on-demand" routing enhances the performance in the mobile environment because the source can keep more connectivity to a receiver in the path-finding duration. Simulation experiments show this improvement.