Abstract. Motivated by realistic sensor network scenarios that have mis-informed nodes and variable network topologies, we propose an approach to routing that combines the best features of limited-flooding and information-sensitive path-finding protocols into a reliable, low-power method that can make delivery guarantees independent of parameter values or information noise levels. We introduce Parametric Probabilistic Sensor Network Routing Protocols, a family of light-weight and robust multi-path routing protocols for sensor networks in which an intermediate sensor decides to forward a message with a probability that depends on various parameters, such as the distance of the sensor to the destination, the distance of the source sensor to the destination, or the number of hops a packet has already traveled. We propose two protocol variants of this family and compare the new methods to other probabilistic and deterministic protocols, namely constant-probability gossiping, uncontrolled flooding, random wandering, shortest path routing (and a variation), and a load-spreading shortest-path protocol inspired by (Servetto and Barrenechea, 2002). We consider sensor networks where a sensor's knowledge of the local or global information is uncertain (parametrically noised) due to sensor mobility, and investigate the trade-off between robustness of the protocol as measured by quality of service (in particular, successful delivery rate and delivery lag) and use of resources (total network load). Our results for networks with randomly placed nodes and realistic urban networks with varying density show that the multi-path protocols are less sensitive to misinformation, and suggest that in the presence of noisy data, a limited flooding strategy will actually perform better and use fewer resources than an attempted single-path routing strategy, with the Parametric Probabilistic Sensor Network Routing Protocols outperforming other protocols. Our results also suggest that protocols using network information perform better than protocols that do not, even in the presence of strong noise.
al REF introduced a probabilistic routing protocols for sensor networks, in which an intermediate sensor decides to forward a message with p t that depends on various parameters, such as the distance of the sensor to the destination, the distance of the source sensor to the destination, or the number of hops a packet has already traveled.
Parametric Probabilistic Routing in Sensor Networks
Mobile Networks and Applications
Computer Science