A cost matrix agent for shortest path routing in ad hoc networks
Wireless ad hoc networks do not rely on an existing infrastructure. They are organized as a network with nodes that act as hosts and routers to treat packets. With their frequent changes in topology, ad hoc networks do not rely on the same routing methods as for pre-established wired networks; they require routing methods for mobile wireless networks. To select a path from a source to a destination in dynamic ad hoc networks, an efficient and reliable routing method is very important. In this paper, we introduce a cost-matrix-based routing algorithm. An agent node creates topology information in the form of the adjacency-cost matrix which shows link costs of the network.Based on the adjacency-cost matrix, the minimum-cost matrix and the next-node matrices can be calculated. Based on the minimum-cost matrix and the next-node matrices, the minimum cost between source and destination nodes and between intermediate nodes on the minimum-cost paths can be calculated. The matrices are periodically distributed by the agent to the other nodes. Based on the minimum-cost matrix and the next-node matrices, each node decides the minimum-cost path to its destination. Because none of the nodes except the agent needs to gather network topology information, the control overhead of the proposed method is small compared with those of the general table-driven routing protocols.
ad hoc networks adjacency-cost matrix minimum-cost matrix topology discovery agent next-node matrix