Optimized Replication Strategy for Intermittently Connected Mobile Networks

Intermittently Connected Mobile Networks (ICMNs) are wireless networks where due to mobility of nodes and lack of connectivity, there may be disconnection among the nodes. Hence, the routing path from source to destination is not always available. In this case, Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) protocols will not be utilized. In these networks, messages are to be flooded or multiple replications are needed to withstand the maximum delay and achieve the high delivery ratio. But multiple replication based protocols result in increased network overhead and high resource consumption because of uncontrolled replication. In this paper, the authors introduce a new simple scheme which applies knapsack policy based replication strategy in replicating the messages. The number of replication is reduced by appropriately selecting only limited messages based on the number of duplications of its own and its size. The messages are selected for forwarding to relay node based on the goodness of the relay node in contacting the destination and the buffer size of the relay node. Therefore, only limited messages will be replicated in the network and it will reduce the network overhead, resource consumption, delivery delay and increases the delivery ratio.