A framework for a multi-mode routing protocol for (MANET) networks

Traditional routing protocols for MANET networks are usually designed with a particular environment in mind and fail to adapt to the wide range of environments present in a MANET network. Because of the wide diversity of the conditions that may be encountered in a MANET network it seems that it would be difficult to effectively route information by engaging a single type of protocol. Instead, a multi-mode protocol should be developed which applies the appropriate "mode" or protocol that is determined to be effective at a given point in time and for the appropriate subset of the network. In this paper, two algorithms: the limited link state (LLS) and self-organizing (SO), that adapt to any MANET network condition-from small networks with nodes with low mobility to large networks with highly mobile nodes to an heterogeneous network with different classes of users-in order to make the most efficient routing decisions are discussed. These algorithms employ new metrics that capture the mobility and traffic pattern of (subsets of) the network, along with some attributes considered in the past (e.g. link stability). Once the instantaneous structure of the network is determined, the multi-mode routing protocol may select its 'mode' of operation.