Improving fault tolerance and network lifetime using relays assisted data forwarding in WSN

Wireless sensor network plays a pivotal role in gathering useful data through sensor nodes and using this information for efficient information processing. The supervision of these nodes, therefore, requires optimized algorithms for efficient data capture, data processing, and information retrieval. To amplify the lifespan of the nodes, the researchers in the past have adopted for the clustering-based approaches. In this paper, the route maintenance mechanism has been defined where each sensor node and CHs locally select new disjoint routing paths/routes in the presence of node/link failures. This technique proposes a modification to an existing scheme by selecting the cluster heads in advance before the start of a new round of data gathering. This helps to avoid the broadcasting of ADV packets in the network. In addition, MDEEHC also allows the parent cluster heads to choose relay nodes from their clusters. These relay nodes are used to transmit the data of the child CH to the base station, thus reducing the load over the parent CH. we have implemented DEEHC and modification to the existing DEEHC clustering algorithm. DEEHC defines the formation of k-vertex disjoint paths from cluster members to cluster heads and from CHs to sink node or base station. This procedure selects cluster heads considering the remaining energy of the nodes as prime factors. M-DEEHC modifies the cluster formation of the DEEHC algorithm as well as modifies the way the data is communicated from child cluster heads to the BS. The performance of the network was analyzed based on throughput, remaining energy, and packet delivery ratio.