IETECH Journal of Communication Techniques, Vol: 2, No: 2, 057 063

IETECH Journal of Communication Techniques, Vol: 2, No: 2, 057 063 IETECH Publications, 2008

MOBILE AD HOC NETWORKS: ISSUES, RESEARCH TRENDS AND EXPERIMENTS

Arun Kumar B. R. Dept. of CS School of Science & Technology Dravidian University Kuppam, India Lokanatha C. Reddy Dept. of CS School of Science & Technology, Dravidian University, Kuppam, India ABSTRACT A novel infrastructure less mobile networks (MANETs) is a collection of wireless nodes that can dynamically form a network to exchange information. The special features of MANET bring this technology great opportunity together with severe challenges. This paper describes the fundamental problems of ad hoc networking by giving its related background including the concept, features, applications, issues of MANETs, investigates and presents recent research trends and identifies Simulators for MANETs[5]. Based on recent research interests of scholars we found that some issues such as routing and power management attracted much attention and issues such as IP addressing and fault tolerance will have wide scope in the future. In the qualitative analysis [5], we found that some factors such as scalability, stability, and reliability attracted much. The essential simulation metrics for various MANET issues are identified and Simulators are listed for experiment. The analysis results demonstrate the utilization trends for various MANET simulators. Keywords: Mobile Communications, Wireless Networks, Ad hoc Networking, Routing, Algorithm, Research Trend, qualitative analysis, and Simulators. Prakash S. Hiremath Dept. of CS Gulbarga University Gulbarga, India

1. INTRODUCTION Wireless communication enables information transfer among a network of disconnected, and often mobile, users. Popular wireless networks such as mobile phone networks and wireless LANs are traditionally infrastructure-based, i.e. base stations, access points and servers are deployed before the network can be used. In contrast, ad hoc networks are dynamically formed amongst a group of wireless users and require no existing infrastructure or pre-configuration [1] [16]. In general there are two distinct approaches for achieving communication among wireless mobile units as presented by the authors [1]: 1) Infrastructure Wireless mobile networks have traditionally been based on the cellular concept and relied on good infrastructure support, in which mobile devices communicate with access points like base stations connected to the fixed network

infrastructure. Typical examples of this kind of wireless networks are GSM, UMTS, WLL, WLAN, etc. 2) Infrastructure less As to infrastructure less approach, the mobile wireless network is commonly known as a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) [1], [2], [3]. A MANET is a collection of wireless nodes that can dynamically form a network to exchange information without using any pre-existing fixed network infrastructure.

Fig. 1. Infrastructure-based wireless network

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A mobile ad hoc network is a collection of wireless nodes that can dynamically be set up anywhere and anytime without using any preexisting network infrastructure. It is an autonomous system in which mobile hosts connected by wireless links are free to move randomly and often act as routers at the same time. The traffic types in ad hoc networks are quite different from those in an infrastructure wireless network [4], including:
Fig. 2. Ad hoc network

Unfortunately, the ad hoc nature that makes these networks attractive also introduces many complex communication problems. Although some of the first ad hoc networks were deployed in the early 1970's, significant research problems remain unanswered [16]. As authors [5] have rightly told, many research scholars were attracted towards this domain to investigate for further research and learning. Numerous problems and challenges exist in this field because of the frequent and unpredictable MANET topology changes. Hundreds of on-going research issues are deployed involving widespread situations for Mantes. When researchers develop methods or protocols, they need to compare their methods with other existing approaches. One way to validate a method or protocol is to implement it in a MANET environment. However, this is difficult and costly. Another way is to evaluate the method using simulators that provide a convenient and economical method to test and compare developed protocols. However, there are many different simulators, parameters, and patterns that must be configured during the simulation process. This work discusses MANETs issues, research trends, describes analysis, and lists simulators for MANETs. The rest of this article is organized as follows. Section 2 presents related background. Section 3 discusses the major issues of MANET. Section 4 gives the factors of qualitative analysis. Section 5 presents the quantitative analysis. Section 6 discusses the common simulation metrics for MANET, the utilization trend for various MANET simulators. The conclusions are made in Section 7. 2. RELATED BACKGROUND 2.1 MANET Concept [1] [5] [11]

1) Peer-to-Peer: Communication between two nodes which are within one hop. Network traffic (Bps) is usually consistent. 2) Remote-to-Remote: Communication between two nodes beyond a single hop but which maintain a stable route between them. This may be the result of several nodes staying within communication range of each other in a single area or possibly moving as a group. The traffic is similar to standard network traffic. 3) Dynamic Traffic: This occurs when nodes are dynamic and moving around. Routes must be reconstructed. This results in a poor connectivity and network activity in short bursts. 2.2 MANET Features The authors [1] give the following MANET features: 1) Autonomous terminal: In MANET, each mobile terminal is an autonomous node, which may function as both a host and a router. In other words, besides the basic processing ability as a host, the mobile nodes can also perform switching functions as a router. So usually endpoints and switches are indistinguishable in MANET. 2) Distributed operation: Since there is no background network for the central control of the network operations, the control and management of the network is distributed among the terminals. The nodes involved in a MANET should collaborate amongst themselves and each node acts as a relay as needed, to implement functions e.g. security and routing. 3) Multi hops routing: Basic types of ad hoc routing algorithms can be single-hop and multihop, based on different link layer attributes and routing protocols. Single-hop MANET is simpler than multihop in terms of structure and implementation, with the cost of lesser functionality and applicability. When delivering data packets from a source to its destination out of the direct wireless transmission range, the packets should be forwarded via one or more intermediate nodes.

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4) Dynamic network topology: Since the nodes are mobile, the network topology may change rapidly and unpredictably and the connectivity among the terminals may vary with time. MANET should adapt to the traffic and propagation conditions as well as the mobility patterns of the mobile network nodes. The mobile nodes in the network dynamically establish routing among themselves as they move about, forming their own network on the fly. Moreover, a user in the MANET may not only operate within the ad hoc network, but may require access to a public fixed network (e.g. Internet). 5) Fluctuating link capacity: The nature of high bit-error rates of wireless connection might be more profound in a MANET. One end-to-end path can be shared by several sessions. The channel over which the terminals communicate is subject to noise, fading, and interference, and has less bandwidth than a wired network. In some scenarios, the path between any pair of users can traverse multiple wireless links and the link themselves can be heterogeneous. 6) Light-weight terminals: In most cases, the MANET nodes are mobile devices with less CPU processing capability, small memory size, and low power storage. Such devices need optimized algorithms and mechanisms that implement the computing and communicating functions. 2.3 MANET Applications [1] [5] [11] [16] With the increase of portable devices as well as progress in wireless communication, ad hoc networking is gaining importance with the increasing number of widespread applications. Ad hoc networking can be applied anywhere where there is little or no communication infrastructure or the existing infrastructure is expensive or inconvenient to use. Ad hoc networking allows the devices to maintain connections to the network as well as easily adding and removing devices to and from the network. The set of applications for MANETs is diverse, ranging from large-scale, mobile, highly dynamic networks, to small, static networks that are constrained by power sources. The initial development of ad hoc networks was primarily driven by military applications, where rapid network formation and survivability are key requirements. The authors [1] give typical applications. They are as follows: 1) Military battlefield: Military equipment now routinely contains some sort of computer

equipment. Ad hoc networking would allow the military to take advantage of commonplace network technology to maintain an information network between the soldiers, vehicles, and military information head quarters. The basic techniques of ad hoc network came from this field. 2) Commercial sector: Ad hoc can be used in emergency/rescue operations for disaster relief efforts, e.g. in fire, flood, or earthquake. Emergency rescue operations must take place where nonexisting or damaged communications infrastructure and rapid deployment of a communication network is needed. Information is relayed from one rescue team member to another over a small handheld. Other commercial scenarios include e.g. ship-toship ad hoc mobile communication, law enforcement, etc. 3) Local level: Ad hoc networks can autonomously link an instant and temporary multimedia network using notebook computers or palmtop computers to spread and share information among participants at an e.g. conference or classroom. Another appropriate local level application might be in home networks where devices can communicate directly to exchange information. Similarly in other civilian environments like taxicab, sports stadium, boat and small aircraft, mobile ad hoc communications will have many applications. 4) Personal Area Network (PAN): Short-range MANET can simplify the intercommunication between various mobile devices (such as a PDA, a laptop, and a cellular phone). Tedious wired cables are replaced with wireless connections. 5) Wireless Mesh Networks: These are ad hoc wireless networks that are formed to provide an alternate communication infrastructure for mobile or fixed nodes /users, without the spectrum reuse constraints and the requirements of network planning of cellular networks. The possible deployment scenarios of wireless mesh networks: include residential zones where broadband connectivity is required, business zones where an alternate communication system to cellular networks is required, etc. 6) Hybrid Wireless Networks: One of the major applications of ad hoc wireless networks is in hybrid wireless architectures such as multi-hop cellular networks and Integrated Cellular ad hoc relay networks. With publicly available routing protocols and nearly all new laptops and handheld computers

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being equipped with wireless capabilities, businesses are starting to realise the potential of commercial ad hoc network applications. Companies such as Mesh Networks, Green Packet, Packet Hop and Firetide are offering products and solutions based on ad hoc networking technology, with applications such as Law Enforcement, Intelligent Transport Systems, Community Networking and Home Networks in mind [16]. However, the commercial technology available today is still a long way from the full potential of ad hoc networks. Fundamental problems must still be solved before ad hoc networks can fully enable a ubiquitous computing and communications environment. 3. MAJOR MANET ISSUES [5][11] In this section the MANET research issues are discussed and classified. Various fundamental and frequently discussed aspects of MANETs are identified and grouped into fifteen categories by the author [5]. They are 1) Routing: Routing is an essential protocol in this field, because changes in network topology occur frequently. An efficient routing protocol is required to cope with highly fluid network conditions. 2) Multicasting/ Broadcasting: Multicast service supports users communicating with other members in a multicast group. Broadcast service supports users communicating with all members on a network. 3) Location Service: Location information uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the network-based geo-location technique to obtain the physical position of a destination. 4) Clustering: Clustering is a method to partition the hosts into several clusters and provide a convenient framework for resource management, routing and virtual circuit support. 5) Mobility Management: In the ad-hoc network environment, mobile hosts can move unrestricted from place to place. Mobility management handles the storage, maintenance and retrieval of the mobile node position information. 6) TCP/ UDP: TCP and UDP are the standard protocols used in the Internet. Data applications running over MANETs, such as http and real audio need transport layer protocols like TCP and UDP to send packets over the links. 7) IP Addressing: One of the most important issues is the set of IP addresses that are assigned to the ad-hoc network. IP addressing and address auto-

configuration have attracted much attention in MANETs. 8) Multiple Accesses: A major issue is to develop efficient medium access protocols that optimize spectral reuse, and hence, maximize aggregate channel utilization in MANETs. 9) Radio Interface: Mobile nodes rely on the radio interface or antenna to transmit packets. Packet forwarding or receiving via radio interface or antenna techniques in MANETs are useful investigations. 10) Bandwidth Management: Bandwidth management in MANETs is a typical characterization. Because the bandwidth is usually limited, effectively managing and using it is a very important issue. 11) Power Management: A power management approach would help reducing power consumption and hence prolonging the battery life of mobile nodes. Because most devices operate on batteries, power management becomes an important issue. 12) Security: The mobile nodes in MANETs are highly susceptible to malicious damage. Security issues are important in MANETs to prevent potential attacks, threats and system vulnerabilities. 13) Fault Tolerance: This issue involves detecting and correcting faults when network failures occur. Fault-tolerance techniques are brought in for maintenance when a failure occurs during node movement, joining, or leaving the network. 14) QoS/ Multimedia: Quality of Service (QoS) and Multimedia require high bandwidth, low delay, and high reliability. 15) Standards/ Products: The standards and products issues that allow the development of small scale is emerging for this field. For instance, Bluetooth is a low-cost technology for short-range communications techniques. 4. THE FACTORS OF THE QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS [5] There are many qualitative factors related to MANETs. The authors [5] provide eight important factors which are described as follows: 1) Adaptability: It describes the reaction to change in a network. Adaptability allows the network to operate despite changes in the environment. 2) Flexibility: It is the ease and speed with which changes can be made to any part of the network platform and the range of changes that can

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be made without having to replace, redevelop, or discard existing network components. 3) Heterogeneity: It describes a network consisting of dissimilar devices that run dissimilar protocols and in many cases support dissimilar functions or applications. 4) Performance: Performance is responsible for analyzing and controlling network efficiency, such as network throughput and error rates. 5) Reliability: It was measured based on continuous, error-free network operations. Perfect reliability over a given time period means no failures and no errors. 6) Scalability: The network must be able to grow. The initial design should grow or develop without any major changes to the overall design. 7) Security: Further research is needed to investigate how to stop intruders from invading the network. The networks physical facilities must be protected from harm and sensitive information kept from unauthorized users while providing simple and inexpensive access on a wide-scale basis. 8) Stability: In a network environment, the network topology is affected greatly by mobility. When node mobility becomes higher, the topology structure has a higher possibility for disintegration and encounters stability problems. 5. MANET RESEARCH TRENDS [1] [5] The research trends from 1998 to 2003 are introduced first. The research trends for different issues are shown via a statistical graph. The simulation metric factors are then discussed. Finally, a summary is presented. 5.1 Quantitative Analysis of MANETs [5] The authors of paper [5] give the following qualitative analysis of the MANET research papers which is as follows: The trends for various issues over the recent six years are shown in Figure 1. The stacked bar chart represents the quantity of papers in the period from 1998 to 2003. If we focus on the quantity of papers, the number of papers for routing, power management, and bandwidth management are larger than those on other issues. IP addressing and fault tolerance issues were represented by only a few papers in recent years. If we focus on the growth rate for each issue, we can find that the growth rates of some issues, such as radio interface and security have been greater than other issues. Especially, the total quantity of papers for these issues in 2003 is larger than the total quantity of papers from 1998 to 2002. We found

that the growth rates for mobility management and fault tolerance were positive. This result shows that these issues also will have more potential study values in the near future. The research studies on routing usually focus on three factors scalability, stability, and reliability. The location service studies and power management usually centre on scalability factor issues. The studies on multicasting/ broadcasting usually focus on two factors reliability and scalability [5]. 6. EXPERIMENT IN MANETs In this section, a detailed description of the simulation metric factors is given. When the performance of algorithms or approaches is evaluated, metrics play an important role. Different metrics are adopted in different studies. 6.1 Simulation Metrics for MANETs [1] [5] [11] [12] [15] When researchers develop a new algorithm or method, they can use the metrics to prove that their approach is better than others. To represent the metric characteristics, some common simulation variables given by the authors [5] are listed as follows: 1) Mobility: The mobility metric is used to measure movement in the network by calculating the relative node movement between all pairs of nodes in the network. 2) Overhead: The overhead metric means how many extra messages were used to achieve acceptance rate improvement. 3) Transmission Range: the transmission range metric is limited by the power constraints, frequency reuse and channel effects. It represents the distance the beacon message must travel. 4) Packet Delivery Ratio: The packet delivery metric ratio presents the ratio between the number of sent packets from the application layer and the number of received packets at the destination nodes. 5) Throughput: The throughput metric is calculated by dividing the total number of packets sent by the time the first packet is received minus the time the last packet is received. The overhead for a researchers proposed method should be minimum because method should work well under low bandwidth, limited storage space and low computing capacity. Mobility is the main characteristic in the MANETs. Therefore, researchers must use overhead and Mobility as metrics to evaluate their proposed methods [5]. For

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example, QoS Routing with Mobility Prediction (QRMP) protocol selects the most stable path based on mobility prediction and QoS requirements on bandwidth and delay [17] efficiently supports real time traffic in multimedia applications in MANET. Metrics can be classified as Performance Metrics and Scenario Metrics. The performance metrics determine the performance of a particular simulation. In mobile ad hoc network, the various performance metrics used are as follows: Packet Delivery Ratio, Routing overhead and End-To-End Delay. A scenario metric is calculated from the input data to the simulation or might even be an input variable (such as the pause time).These metrics are interesting since their value will not be dependent of the routing protocol or the simulation process, as the performance metrics might be. These non-biased metrics exists in order to provide a truthful comparison between the different routing protocols. 6.2 Simulators for MANETs [5] [12] This section gives an overview of the simulation utilization rate. A number of popular simulators exist, such as NS-2 [8][18], GloMoSim [6][10], and OPNET [9]. They not only provide the simulation process for researchers but also help them test and debug many network protocols. The simulator utilization rate is shown in Figure 2 using a pie chart by the authors [5], in which each segment represents a specific simulator. There are more than twenty simulators used in MANETs. The area of each segment is proportional to the number of cases in that category. From this figure, the three most popular simulators, NS-2 (39%), GloMoSim (21%), and OPNET (9%), accounted for more than 2/3 of the simulators used. NS-2, GloMoSim, and OPNET are highly modular discrete event simulators. These simulators are provided for simulating the behavior of networks in a complex network topology. 7. CONCLUSIONS In the study of many research papers on MANETs, we found that the routing and power management issues have grown very fast and the most popular in recent years [5]. Most routing protocols in MANET adopt the popular Random Waypoint model for its simplicity and suitability for theoretical study and analysis [14]. The most popular simulators are NS-2 and GloMoSim. The IP addressing and fault tolerance issues will have potential study value in the near future [5]. During

the analysis of papers we found that scalability and reliability are very important issues for designing or implementing MANETs. We also suggest using the metrics, No. of Control packets, Packet Delivery Ratio, Average Delay, and No. of Nodes while working on Routing Protocols.

Fig. 1. Research Trends in MANETs [5]

Fig.2 . Simulators utilization trend [5]

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Address of the Corresponding Author Arun Kumar B. R. Research Scholar, Dept. of CS School of Science & Technology Dravidian University Kuppam, India REFERENCES [1] Jun-Zhao Sun MediaTeam , Mobile Ad Hoc Networking: An Essential Technology for Pervasive Computing, , Machine Vision and Media Processing Unit, Infotech Oulu University of Oulu, Finland. [2] M. Frodigh, P. Johansson, and P. Larsson. Wireless ad hoc networking: the art of networking without a network, Ericsson Review, No.4, 2000, pp. 248-263. [3] IETF Working Group: Mobile Ad hoc Networks (manet). http: // www.ietf.org/html. charters/manet-charter.html. [4] Ad Hoc Networking Extended Research Project. Online Project. http://triton.cc.gatech. edu/ubicomp/505. [5] C. R. Dow, P. J. Lin, S. C. Chen*, J. H. Lin*, and S. F. Hwang, A Study of Recent Research Trends and Experimental Guidelines in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks, Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Advanced Information Networking and Applications (AINA05), 2005 IEEE [6] X. Zeng, R. Bagrodia, and M. Gerla, GloMoSim: A Library for Parallel Simulation of Large-Scale Wireless Networks, Proceedings of 12th Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Simulations, May 1998.

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