[ale] Dynamic Routing Within Mobile Networks

[Brian Pitts]

I'm not an expert, but this sound similar to the mobile, ad-hoc, mesh 
networking done by the One Laptop Per Child project. I think the 
standard to look into is 802.11s.

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Mesh_Network_Details

-Brian

Chuck Huber wrote:
> ALE'ers,
> 
> I have an application that utilizes a private network of mobile nodes
> and need to implement a dynamic routing algorithm.
> 
> The scenario is that there's between one and 5 command nodes (CNodes),
> and multiple execution nodes (ENodes), all of which are mobile.  The
> network starts out where all nodes are in close proximity allowing any
> of the CNodes to communicate directly with any of the ENodes.
> 
> In time, however, an ENode may drift out of comms range with any of the
> CNodes.
> 
> What I'd like to do is to implement an algorithm in each of the ENodes
> such that it can serve as a router.
> 
> I spoke with NASA about this.  The closest thing they had was a project
> that flew on Columbia's last flight in which a linux machine was mounted
> in the payload bay with a VHF link attached to its network port.  As the
> shuttle flew along in its orbit, the next-hop gateway was changed to a
> ground station within view of the shuttle and ground-based DNS's were
> updated appropriately.  This, however, is very predictable and the
> air/space-borne node can be told what its new IP address and next-hop
> gateway would be at a certain time.  When the time arrived, it could
> issue ifconfig and route commands appropriately.  BTW, the project was
> considered 90% successful - 10% of the data was lost with the ship.  One
> of the successes was that the project was able to maintain a TCP
> connection throughout the entire orbit even though the mobile node's
> address was constantly changing.
> 
> The scenario in which I find myself, however, is one of unpredictable
> routes.
> 
> Does anyone know of an algorithm by which a node can inject itself as a
> router on behalf of one or more other nodes?
> 
> Thanks,
>     - Chuck
> 
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