A Reliable and Efficient Routing Algorithm Assisted with Buffer Management in Opportunistic Networks

Short contact time period between nodes as well as limited node buffers usually exist in opportunistic networks, resulting in the increase of delay and the loss of data packets. To address the problem, an improved epidemic routing algorithm(Reliable and Efficient routing algorithm assisted with Buffer Management, REBM) is proposed. Firstly, through the exchange of SV (Summary Vector) control packets, the data packets already reached the destination nodes are removed from the node buffers. Moreover, the data packets destined to the one-hop neighboring nodes obtain the priority to transmit. Theoretical analysis and extensive simulation results showed that the proposed algorithm can effectively increase the delivery rate, shorten the delivery delay, decrease the total number of transmitted data packets and cut down the buffer occupancy without increasing any control overhead.