Selective backbone construction for topology control in ad hoc networks

A key step in controlling topology in ad hoc networks is the construction of the backbone which is then used to transfer data. Nodes that are not part of the backbone can then go to sleep to save energy and increase the lifetime of the network. Centralized backbone construction algorithms give better performance but incur high communication overhead, while localized algorithms lack sufficient topology information needed to construct efficient backbones. We present selective backbone construction (SBC) which starts by selecting a small number of seed nodes in the backbone and then completes its construction by making a sweep of the network spreading outwards from the seed nodes. During the latter process, topology information is transferred to allow better coordinator selection decisions. We compared SBC with other power-saving protocols in a variety of tests featuring different mobility levels, traffic patterns, and node densities. Our experiments show that SBC is more efficient in saving energy and extending network life while providing satisfactory network performance when compared with 802.11, 802.11 PSM, and GAF.