Resource aware information dissemination in ad hoc networks

Information dissemination (flooding) forms an integral part of routing protocols, network management, service discovery and information collection (sensing). Given the broadcast nature of ad hoc network communications, information dissemination provides a challenging problem. This paper introduces Utility Based Flooding (UBF). UBF is a distributed optimised flooding mechanism for ad hoc networks that unlike existing optimised flooding algorithms is fully resource aware. Resource awareness is achieved by assigning a forwarding utility to neighouring nodes to determining the desirability of a neighbouring node in continuing a flood. UBF is particularly applicable to ad hoc network environments composed of heterogeneous nodes that may have varying characteristics and constraints. In this paper, UBF is compared to existing flooding mechanisms in a constrained environment. Nodes are assigned varying degrees of remaining battery power and user based constraints that limit a nodes benevolence based upon its remaining battery power. We show through simulation that UBF compared to Utility Based Multipoint Relay (UMPR) flooding, Multipoint Relay (MPR) flooding and Blind flooding significantly improves broadcast reachability over successive broadcasts, does not adversely affect performance and extends the lifetime of the network. UBF delivers packets to over 90% of nodes in the network for over 70 successive broadcasts. Blind flooding, UMPR and MPR are only able achieve 42, 39 and 23 successive broadcasts respectively.