Resource efficient connectivity restoration algorithm for mobile sensor/actor networks

Abstract

Maintaining inter-node connectivity is of a paramount concern in most applications of mobile sensor/actor networks because nodes have to report their data and coordinate their operations. Failure of a node may partition the inter-node network into disjoint segments, and may thus hinder data delivery and inter-node coordination. This article presents a novel resource efficient connectivity restoration algorithm (RECRA) that opts to repair severed connectivity while imposing minimal overhead on the nodes. To avoid overreacting to non-critical failure, RECRA identifies critical/non-critical nodes and only triggers the recovery when a critical node fails. The failure of a node is detected by its neighbors and a recovery procedure is executed based on their proximity, status (critical/non-critical), and transmission range. RECRA prefers to employ a non-critical node and moves it to the place of failed node in order to limit the impact on coverage, scope of the recovery, and strangle successive...