Mobility Context Aware Routing Protocol in DTN

Overview & Synopsis

The development of delay tolerant networks (DTNs) has been driven by the need to overcome communication barriers in situations where traditional network assumptions do not apply. DTNs are designed to function effectively in situations where traditional networks fail due to limited connectivity, extended delays, and recurrent disruptions. They are characterised by their ability to store and forward data, adapt to changing network conditions, and maintain communication even in the face of disruptions. They are typically decentralized, self-organizing and fault tolerant. In this paper, we propose 'Baton-relay', a mobility context-aware routing protocol in DTN. This protocol relies on low-cost communication and storage devices that can embed different communication technologies, resulting in a global privacy-preserving data-sharing system based on natural crowd mobility. First, we analyse crowd mobility patterns to assign a delivery probability for a message based on its mobility pattern. The device will estimate its real-life situation, then exploits this information to take a forwarding decision. We tested and validated the approach using the ONE simulator, which is designed for an opportunistic network environment. The idea of Baton-relay is simple, not based on extensive mathematical calculations, does not require a huge memory or buffer, yet is robust, guaranteeing a reasonable probability of delivery and it preserves privacy. Results show that Baton-relay achieves a significant improvement for the buffer time average, number of hops and copies overhead compared to other routing protocols.