Novel Protocols for Improving the Performance of ODMRP and EODMRP over Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

Due to its simplicity, efficiency, and robustness to mobility, the On-Demand Multicast Routing Protocol (ODMRP) becomes a standout amongst the most broadly utilized multicast routing protocols in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). However, the robustness of ODMRP comes at the expense of incurring a high control overhead to the network. The Enhanced ODMRP (EODMRP) proposed a dynamic refresh interval for the multicast mesh based on the network feedback on real disconnections experienced by the multicast network members. Veritably, EODMRP decreased the network control overhead at the cost of obtaining a low packet delivery ratio especially in high mobility conditions of the network. In this paper, two protocols, as improvements to both ODMRP and EODMRP, are proposed where the refresh interval is basically adapted based on the source moving speed and the number of disconnections reported by multicast members. Furthermore, we proposed an impressive local recovery to be employed in both protocols, which includes new setup and failure mechanisms that contribute effectively to boosting the performance of our proposed protocols. Since the majority of nodes in MANET rely on batteries, the main contribution of this research is to limit the amount of control information that is passed between nodes (i.e., reducing the control overhead over that in ODMRP) while maintaining a better packet delivery ratio than EODMRP.