A fuzzy-based virtual backbone routing for large-scale MANETs

Virtual backbone based routing is a promising approach for enhancing the routing efficiency in MANETs. To establish communication in the network, the virtual backbone nodes have to be connected. Connected dominating sets (CDS) are the earliest structures proposed as candidates for virtual backbones in ad hoc networks. In this paper we propose a fuzzy-based virtual backbone routing scheme (FVB) for large scale mobile Ad Hoc networks that aims to maximize the network’s lifetime. Each node in the network is characterized by its residual energy, traffic, and mobility. We develop a fuzzy logic controller that combines these parameters, keeping in mind the synergy between them. The value obtained, indicates the importance of a node and it is used in network formation and maintenance. We compare our approach to another energy efficient hierarchical protocol based on the dominating set (DS) idea. Our simulation shows that our design out performs the DS approach in prolonging the network lifetime.