Scalable routing in mobile ad hoc networks

Abstract

In Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), performing routing is a challenging task in presence of the varying network parameters like node mobility, traffic and network size. It is very important to analyze the scalability characteristics of the routing protocols with respect to these parameters. ZRP is considered to be one of the most scalable routing protocols due to its multiscoping and hybridization features. We propose a general, parameterized model for analyzing control overhead of ZRP. A generic probabilistic model for data traffic is also proposed which can be replaced by different traffic models. Our analytical model is validated by comparisons with simulations performed on different scenarios. In our simulation results we have observed that the optimal zone radius lies where the proactive and reactive overhead components of ZRP are approximately equal as observed in [19]. We have also observed that optimal zone radius setting is different under different network conditions. Our simulations show that as the mobility increases the optimal zone radius value decreases, and as the traffic increases the value of optimal zone radius increases. Moreover, if a node operates away from the optimal zone radius setting then it has to bear and ditional routing overhead. Our simulations show that this deviation is quite high in case of low mobility (upto 35%) than in high mobility (upto 23%).