Title

Traffic management in wireless sensor networks: Decoupling congestion control and fairness

Authors

Authors

S. Brahma; M. Chatterjee; K. Kwiat;P. K. Varshney

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Comput. Commun.

Keywords

Sensor networks; Congestion control; Fairness; Distributed algorithms; Computer Science, Information Systems; Engineering, Electrical &; Electronic; Telecommunications

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a distributed congestion control algorithm for tree based communications in wireless sensor networks, that seeks to adaptively assign a fair and efficient transmission rate to each node. In our algorithm, each node monitors its aggregate output and input traffic rate. Based on the difference of the two, a node then decides to increase (if the output rate is more) or decrease (if the input rate is more) the bandwidth allocable to a flow originating from itself and to those being routed through it. Since the application requirements in sensor network follow no common trait, our design abstracts the notion of fairness, allowing for the development of a generic utility controlling module. Such separation of the utility and fairness controlling modules enable each one to use a separate control law, thereby portraying a more flexible design. The working of our congestion control is independent of the underlying routing algorithm and is designed to adapt to changes in the underlying routing topology. We evaluate the performance of the algorithm via extensive simulations using an event-driven packet level simulator. The results suggest that the proposed protocol acquires a significantly high goodput of around 95% of the actual transmission rate, converges quickly to the optimal rate, and attains the desired fairness. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Computer Communications

Volume

35

Issue/Number

6

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

670

Last Page

681

WOS Identifier

WOS:000302431300004

ISSN

0140-3664

Share

COinS