Virtual Circuit Switching Concept in Ad Hoc Networking
Sun Yen-Rong
Department of Computer Science
University of Canterbury
Abstract
This thesis investigates issues of implementing virtual circuit switching in an ad-hoc network. Traditionally, an ad{hoc network uses datagram switching for transmitting a message which is many packets long. Two main challenges for implementing virtual circuit switching in an ad{hoc network are: (1) nding a medium access control (MAC) protocol that supports \virtual circuit" and (2) dealing with the rapid changes of network topology. A major advantage of using virtual circuit switching is its capability to provide Quality of Service during a communication session.
Ad-hoc Virtual Switching Routing (AVSR) protocol is a cross-layered traffic control protocol developed to demonstrate virtual circuit switching in an ad{hoc network. It is a reactive routing protocol running over a self-administrative Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) MAC protocol. The evaluation of AVSR shows it is applicable to implement virtual circuit switching in an ad{hoc network, however its performance degrades significantly as the number of nodes/terminals in the network increases. The conclusion of this thesis gives recommendations for future research of virtual circuit switching in ad-hoc networks.