A distributed routing algorithm for supporting connection-oriented service in wireless networks with time-varying connectivity

We develop and simulate a distributed dynamic routing algorithm, capable of identifying paths for establishing and maintaining connection-oriented sessions in wireless communication networks which are characterized by frequent and unpredictable changes in connectivity. Our approach is a new protocol which runs atop a protocol for connectionless datagram service and establishes circuit routes for initial connection based on a mechanism of short packets exchange and on distributed information about availability of network resources. We explore the idea of predictive rerouting in that the algorithm takes advantage of the possibility to convert a connectivity change into a “soft” failure to maintain and re-route on-going sessions. The algorithm is simulated in Opnet and results show that the “softening” of link failures can improve the performance as captured in terms of new call blocking probability and probability of forced termination of on-going sessions