Cross-layer discovery and routing in mobile ad-hoc networks

Communication in ad hoc networks traditionally relies on network addresses known a priori. This work addresses the need for application-aware adaptive communication that creates network routes based on applications’ dynamic resource requests. We motivate this need by examining the state of the art in mobile ad hoc network communication, the requirements of applications, and the impact of existing protocols on flexibility and efficiency. We introduce an intuitive generalization to source routing which facilitates discovery of a resource in an ad hoc network and the creation and maintenance of a route from the requesting host to the discovered destination. We thus eliminate the requirement that existing routing protocols be coupled with a name or resource resolution protocol, instead favoring an entirely reactive approach to accommodate significant degrees of mobility and uncertainty. We present an initial implementation, a performance evaluation, and a comparison to existing alternatives.