Replica allocation in ad hoc networks with periodic data update

Recent advances in computer and wireless communication technologies have led to an increasing interest in ad hoc networks which are temporarily constructed by only mobile hosts. In ad hoc networks, since mobile hosts move freely, disconnections occur frequently, and this causes frequent network division. Consequently, data accessibility in ad hoc networks is lower than that in the conventional fixed networks. Assuming an environment where each data item is periodically updated, we propose three replica allocation methods to improve data accessibility by replicating data items on mobile hosts. In these three methods, we take into account the access frequency from mobile hosts to each data item, the status of the network connection, and the time remaining until each item is updated next. We also show the results of simulation experiments regarding the performance evaluation of our proposed methods.