Connectivity Monitoring in Mobile Packet Radio Networks.

摘要

Knowledge of connectivity (i.e., what pairs of nodes can communicate directly) in a data communication network is essential for the efficient and reliable operation of the network. In a packet radio network with mobile nodes, the connectivity varies with time and thus must in some way be monitored. The problem of monitoring connectivity in mobile packet radio networks is considered. Two general methods for monitoring connectivity are developed and compared. It is found that each method has its respective advantages and disadvantages, and thus to choose between them, one must examine both the specific type of packet radio in which one wishes to monitor connectivity and the specific use that is to be made of connectivity information in that network. Implementations of both monitoring methods in a terminal-oriented mobile packet radio network, where connectivity information is used for updating packet routes, are presented and compared. It is found that a particular implementation is the most flexible and in general uses the least amount of overhead. Its performance is analyzed in detail for a particular network model. (Author)