Route Optimization in Delay Tolerant Networks

Existing mechanisms for forwarding data relay on choosing the nodes with better capability of contacting other nodes as relays and use them to carry and forward data when they make contact with other nodes (store-carry-forward). However many of these nodes cannot be good choices as relays all the time, due to non-uniformity of the transient nodal contact characteristics By taking advantage of the transient social contact patterns of the nodes, it is possible to optimize the route of nodes to be used as relays and thereby fairly improving performance of data forwarding with a shorter time constraint in DTN along with digital signature used for acknowledgement of packets. Such patterns depict transitory traits in distribution of contact within nodes, intermittent connectivity of the network, and social community structure in DTN. In order to increase the effectiveness of data forwarding techniques, a new forwarding metric is defined. This proposed data forwarding metric is expected to achieve much better performance of data forwarding as against existing data forwarding methods, keeping the cost similar.