Context-aware broadcasting approaches in mobile ad hoc networks

• Published in: Computer networks (Amsterdam, Netherlands : 1999) Vol. 54; no. 7; pp. 1210 - 1228
• Main Authors: Garbinato, Benoît, Holzer, Adrian, Vessaz, François
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 17.05.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; Broadcasting; Broadcasting protocols; Comparative analysis; Computer networks; Context-aware approaches; Exact sciences and technology; Interconnected networks; MANETs; Miscellaneous; Networks and services in france and abroad; Organization and planning of networks (techniques and equipments); Studies; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Broadcasting protocols; MANETs; Context-aware approaches; Performance evaluation; Mobile radiocommunication; Mobile ad hoc network; Adaptive system; Wireless telecommunication; Network architecture; Teletraffic; Context aware; Distributed system; Algorithm; Power consumption; Electric power consumption; Broadcasting; Internet; Localization; Message transmission
• ISSN: 1389-1286; 1872-7069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.comnet.2009.11.008

The aim of this paper is to compare different context-aware broadcasting approaches in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and to evaluate their respective performances. Message broadcasting is one of the core challenges brought up by distributed systems and has therefore largely been studied in the context of traditional network structures, such as the Internet. With the emergence of MANETs, new broadcasting algorithms especially geared at these networks have been introduced. The goal of these broadcasting algorithms is to ensure that a maximum number of nodes deliver the broadcasted message ( reliability), while ensuring that the minimum number of nodes retransmit the broadcasted message ( efficiency), in order to save their resources, such as bandwidth or battery. In recent years, as more and more mobile devices have become context-aware, several broadcasting algorithms have been introduced that take advantage of contextual information in order to improve their performance. We distinguish four approaches with respect to context: (1) context-oblivious approaches, (2) network traffic-aware approaches, (3) power-aware approaches, and (4) location-aware approaches. This paper precisely aims at presenting these four different broadcasting approaches and at measuring the performance of algorithms built upon them.