Performance modeling and analysis of a mobile ad hoc network management system

Ad hoc networking is the basis of the future military network-centric warfare architecture. Ad hoc networks, however, are highly dynamic in nature due to the fact that the links in mobile ad hoc wireless networks are susceptible to failure because of node mobility or loss of connectivity due to volatility of wireless links. Moreover we observe that mobile ad hoc networks are characterized by scarce and fluctuating bandwidth, and as such the overarching requirement of any management system is that it should minimize its use of network bandwidth. In turn, this underscores the need for bandwidth efficient management systems that maintain the "health" of the network amidst unpredictable network events. This paper describes the performance analysis of a policy-based mobile ad hoc network management system, developed under the CERDEC DRAMA (dynamic re-addressing and management for the army) program. DRAMA, as its name indicates, is an adaptive management system that addresses the special needs posed by mobile ad hoc networks. In this work, we present our use of modeling and simulation (M&S) techniques to develop detailed models of the DRAMA architecture and analyze the performance under a range of operational parameters. We present simulation results to demonstrate the potential of DRAMA as an efficient policy-based mobile ad hoc network management system.