Dynamic topology update mechanism in local tree-based reliable topology (LTRT) based MANETs

Topology control is a powerful solution to reduce power consumption and the number of collisions by minimizing the transmission range of each node by maintaining a certain level of network connectivity. Although many topology control algorithms have been developed for static networks, e.g., sensor and ad hoc networks with less topology change, where nodes are fixed and the network topology never changes, the topology control technologies can also be adopted for dynamic networks such as Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANETs) with an aim to efficiently construct reliable networks. However, in order to apply topology control technologies into MANETs, it is essential to address the issue of performance degradation due to node mobility. Topology information in each node needs to be frequently and appropriately updated according to its moving speed so as to maintain the connectivity with neighbors. In our proposed mechanism, each node determines an appropriate value of topology control update interval according to the mobility information of its neighbors. The proposed mechanism with an adopted topology control technique, based on a localized algorithm, can maintain local connectivity which results in keeping global network connectivity although the network is dynamic. This is a significant advantage of our approach. Simulation results demonstrate that our scheme can ensure a certain level of network connectivity even in MANETs.