Performance modeling and simulation of dynamic and rapid auto-configuration protocols for ad-hoc wireless networks

The dynamic and unpredictable environment characteristic of wireless ad-hoc networks coupled with the scarcity of wireless network resources, limit and may even preclude the use of conventional subnet configuration protocols. The problem of auto-configuration is further exacerbated by the high degrees of mobility in ad-hoc networks. The Dynamic Registration and Configuration Protocol (DRCP) is an auto-configuration protocol that has been proposed to overcome these shortcomings and facilitates dynamic, rapid and efficient configuration in the unpredictable ad hoc wireless network environment. This paper describes the performance modeling and simulation of the DRCP protocol. More specifically, it helps analyze and answer critical questions related to protocol performance, such as protocol convergence time, protocol overheads, scalability, etc., under realistic operating conditions. Our contributions in this paper are two-fold. First, we analyze protocol performance and provide useful insights into its operation and use in wireless ad-hoc networks. Next, we illustrate the power of modeling and simulation (M and S), since the complexity of the underlying ad-hoc networks precludes the use of closed form expressions for analysis. M and S allows us to preserve the dynamics of the underlying network and to analyze performance under realistic operating conditions.