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Network Size Estimation in Opportunistic
Mobile Networks: Department of Informatics, Sanata Dharma
University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Abstract This article addresses the issues of counting the
number of nodes in opportunistic mobile networks. The global knowledge of
network size is commonly required to design optimal routing algorithms in
OMNs. However, due to the inherent characteristic of long transfer delay,
node counting in such intermittently-connected networks is a challenging
task. In this paper, we propose the Mark- Recapture method to estimate the
number of nodes in a network. In ecology, the statistical technique has been
widely used to predict the population sizes of animals in open areas. The
scheme initially samples nodes in the network, and an estimate of the network
size is then calculated based on this partial knowledge of the network.
Through extensive simulations driven by random movement and realistic
mobility models, we show that the proposed method is able to produce a good
estimate of network size within a relatively short duration of time. Finally,
by tweaking Epidemic routing with the local estimate of network size, we can
reduce the delivery cost of this flooding strategy without significantly
degrading the overall network delivery performances. Keywords: network size, node counting,
Mark-Recapture, opportunistic mobile networks +: Corresponding author: Bambang Soelistijanto Journal of Wireless Mobile Networks, Ubiquitous
Computing, and Dependable Applications (JoWUA),
Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 29-46, Sept. 2021 [pdf] DOI: 10.22667/JOWUA.2021.09.30.029 |