Efficient routing in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks using ant replication

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) require no fixed infrastructure, thus enabling dynamic networks to be created whenever and wherever required. It is not only of huge benefit for military/rescue operations but would also be advantageous in the industrial and educational sectors. This advantage is not However, MANETs are not without their drawbacks. Routes may frequently be broken without notice, due to nodes moving out-of-range, from the mobile device containing the node being switched off or power expires. Due to the need for economies in power expenditure, reactive routing protocols are favoured over those that are proactive as nodes are only activated when a route is required. Proactive protocols that keep routes continuously updated will in turn exhaust the battery lives of the mobile devices. The nature of MANETs require that routing protocols can efficiently monitor and update routes. New routing protocols are emerging where a proactive protocol is used alongside a reactive one, thus forming a hybrid. Many of these include the use of ants (proactive) that work independently and provide details of appropriate routes. However, each time the ant visits a node, that node is activated and its power is depleted. When considering a large number of ants operating within the network, many of the nodes would be activated numerous times. This paper proposes that the ants have the ability to replicate after visiting a pre-determined number of nodes. Up to the point where the ant splits, after which each will work independently, their identical node histories will have been acquired using only half the power expenditure normally needed. Although this level of saving would decrease when considering the whole MANET, it is estimated that a considerable power saving could be maintained. There is an additional advantage in that not only is there a saving in power use, but there is also the benefit that should ants be lost after splitting, for example, in transmission or moving out-of-range, the increase in population due to replication could help negate the problem of ant loss.