Forward Correction and Fountain codes in Delay Tolerant Networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how coding and replication strategies, including fountain codes, can optimize delivery success and resource tradeoffs in delay tolerant networks through analytical modeling and simulation validation.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical framework to evaluate the impact of coding on delay and energy efficiency in delay tolerant networks, optimizing routing parameters.

Findings

Coding improves delivery probability within delay constraints.

Optimized parameters reduce energy consumption.

Model validation confirms analytical predictions.

Abstract

Delay tolerant Ad-hoc Networks make use of mobility of relay nodes to compensate for lack of permanent connectivity and thus enable communication between nodes that are out of range of each other. To decrease delivery delay, the information that needs to be delivered is replicated in the network. Our objective in this paper is to study replication mechanisms that include coding in order to improve the probability of successful delivery within a given time limit. We propose an analytical approach that allows to quantify tradeoffs between resources and performance measures (energy and delay). We study the effect of coding on the performance of the network while optimizing parameters that govern routing. Our results, based on fluid approximations, are compared to simulations which validate the model