Leveraging clustering for efficient communication in opportunistic networks

The overarching goal of my research is to design protocols for efficient communication in delay tolerant networks (DTNs), with a particular focus on pocket switched networks (PSNs), an emerging class of ad hoc networks made up of smartphones and other portable mobile devices carried by humans. Communication in such an infrastructure-less scenario is inherently opportunistic since it relies extensively on detecting, as well as utilizing, unplanned encounters between nodes. While existing solutions look at the nodes in isolation, we propose that the clustering of nodes, which is a common phenomenon observed in different types of DTNs including PSNs, can be leveraged for significantly improving the efficiency of different components of opportunistic communication. The first step in enabling opportunistic communication is neighbor discovery. In this context, we have developed Searchlight, an asynchronous neighbor discovery protocol that uses systematic probing to considerably decrease discovery latency while allowing nodes to operate at low duty cycles. However, for an individual node, performing continuous neighbor discovery can still be too expensive with a high-power radio like 802.11. On the other hand, relying only on a low-power, short-range radio for detecting neighbors will result in significantly fewer available contacts. To mitigate this problem, we have developed a scheme for more efficient neighbor discovery that leverages the clustering of nodes as well as the radio heterogeneity of mobile devices. The basic idea is that coordination over a low-power, short-range radio can help clustered nodes distribute the load of scanning over the high-power, long-range radio. We have implemented the protocol successfully on a testbed of Android phones. Clustering can be also leveraged at a higher level for efficient forwarding of messages. Most routing protocols for DTNs only focus on one-hop encounters. However clustering creates islands of connectivity where path-based routing can be more efficient. Based on this insight, we have developed a lightweight clustering-based routing protocol that performs well in both partitioned and clustered environments by integrating store-carry-forward techniques with path-based techniques when appropriate.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Bakht, Mehedi

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kravets, Robin H.
• Abdelzaher, Tarek F.
• Nahrstedt, Klara
• Ammar, Mostafa

• Opportunistic Networking
• Clustering
• Delay-tolerant Networking (DTN)

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Mehedi Bakht

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/30983

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/30983