MUNet: multicasting protocol in unidirectional ad-hoc networks

MUNet is a Multicasting protocol designed for Unidirectional ad-hoc NETworks, particularly found in battlefields. MUNet, inspired by swarm intelligence and further motivated by collaboration discovery, is categorized as a coordinator-based, on-demand routing protocol. With the concept of spatial locality, it constructs a multicast tree enveloped by neighbor nodes (i.e., nodes in the close proximity of the tree). Potential link breakage of the established tree can be detected and prevented collaboratively by reinforcing neighbor nodes instead, prior to any costly, time-consuming, link recovery. A path is shortened when it exists. Simulation in GlomoSim shows that the routing performance is comparable to ODAMP but with much less routing overhead, in both unidirectional and bidirectional ad-hoc networks.