Ad-hoc on-demand distance vector routing

Abstract

An ad-hoc network is the cooperative engagement of a collection of mobile nodes without the required intervention of any centralized access point or existing infrastructure. We present Ad-hoc On Demand Distance Vector Routing (AODV), a novel algorithm for the operation of such ad-hoc networks. Each mobile host operates as a specialized router, and routes are obtained as needed (i.e., on-demand) with little or no reliance on periodic advertisements. Our new routing algorithm is quite suitable for a dynamic self starting network, as required by users wishing to utilize ad-hoc networks. AODV provides loop-free routes even while repairing broken links. Because the protocol does not require global periodic routing advertisements, the demand on the overall bandwidth available to the mobile nodes is substantially less than in those protocols that do necessitate such advertisements. Nevertheless we can still maintain most of the advantages of basic distance vector routing mechanisms. We show that our algorithm scales to large populations of mobile nodes wishing to form ad-hoc networks. We also include an evaluation methodology and simulation results to verify the operation of our algorithm.