A packet encoding algorithm for network coding with multiple next hop neighbor consideration and its integration with delta routing

We propose an efficient encoding algorithm that considers multiple neighbors as next hop candidates for a packet, while searching for an optimal packet combination to transmit. Our algorithm, based on bipartite graphs, lets a node exhaustively search its queue to identify the maximum set of packets that can be combined in a single transmission. This algorithm can be easily integrated with a routing scheme in which a node considers multiple neighbors before choosing to forward a packet to one of them. We demonstrate this by integrating our algorithm with delta routing. Throughput benefit offered due to network coding is often hampered by congested nodes in a network. Delta routing improves throughput of a network by helping packets circumnavigate congestion. We demonstrate how our packet encoding algorithm can be coupled with such a routing mechanism in order to leverage the benefits offered by an efficient encoding scheme and enhanced routing both.