Cluster-based routing with backup route in mobile ad hoc networks

Effective routing is critical in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). In recent years, many hierarchical routing protocols have been proposed to build a backbone structure for supporting MANET routing, especially for large scalability. The clustering approach is seen as the first step in providing a flat network with a hierarchical architecture. The clusterheads become the backbone nodes (BNs), which use greater power to transmit packets, forming the backbone network. Backbone network routing can reduce the number of data-packet forwarding hops throughout the entire network. However, previous protocols have focused on clustering schemes. Fault tolerance in a backbone structure has not been considered. In this paper, we propose a backup routing scheme that can repair broken links locally without activating a route re-discovery procedure. The backup route is piggybacked in the data packet header to achieve the most durable route. The proposed method can improve the packet delivery ratio and reduce control overhead, compared to general hierarchical routing protocols.