SURE Research Proposal

We propose to extend previous work on multimedia least-resistance routing, a decentralized and distributed routing protocol that selects routes based on both the multiple-access and partial-band interference at each of the radios in the network and on the quality-of-service requirements for the type of multimedia traffic being forwarded. The routing protocol is closely integrated with a virtual circuit protocol that supports traffic with near real-time delay requirements (e.g., voice and video). We will examine the interaction between the routing and virtual circuit protocols under a variety of scenarios and improve the ability of the two protocols to maintain acceptable service levels for voice and video traffic. An existing OPNET simulation of a multiple-hop packet radio network will be employed ensuring that the investigations of the network protocols are conducted with a realistic model of a wireless network. The discrete-event simulation program provides detailed models for the interference environment and includes a full implementation of the channel-access and network layer protocols.

The networking system that we will be working with is known as the RAVEN system. It comprises a vertically integrated group of networking algorithms designed to provide reliable voice, video, and data sessions in a tactical multihop packet-radio network. The RAVEN system contains five algorithms: the adaptive transmission protocol, the medium access control protocol, the energy-based least-resistance routing protocol, the elastic multipoint virtual circuits protocol, and the priority-based output scheduling protocol.

We will be primarily investigating how the adaptive transmission protocol should interact with the routing and virtual circuit protocols. Specifically, we will be focusing on investigating when the routing and virtual circuit protocols should apply information gained from running the adaptive transmission protocol. Therefore most of the work in this project will focus on the adaptive transmission protocol, the energy-based least-resistance routing protocol, and the elastic multipoint virtual circuits protocol.

Furthermore, we will try to implement variations of the node movement algorithms that were used in the past in order to observe how networks performance is different types of node movement.