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Ant Routing Algorithm for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

Based on Adaptive Improvement

Zeng Yuan-yuan
He Yan-xiang
School of Computer Science, Wuhan University
School of Computer Science, Wuhan University
School of Computer and State Key Lab of Software
School of Computer and State Key Lab of Software
Engineering, Wuhan University
Engineering, Wuhan University
Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
xqzeng@whu.edu.cn
yxhe@whu.edu.cn

Abstract�A mobile ad-hoc network is a collection of

mobile uncontrolled overheads to solve the routing problem. This large
nodes without any existing infrastructure or
central routing overhead affects the scalability of the
network and
administrator. A lot of research work has been developed to find
affects the network performance [1,2]. The protocol presented
a path between end points, which is aggravated
through the in the paper tries to solve the above drawbacks on some degree.

flexible node mobility. In this paper, an ant colony

algorithm [5,6,7]. The ant colony algorithm based mobile ad-hoc routing
adaptive improvement on routing is presented (ARAAI).
It is schemes has been presented. They can be divided into
two
based on swarm intelligence and especially on the ant
colony classes. One is the ant-like mobile agent based routing scheme,
based meta-heuristic. Considering the stagnation behavior of ant
which is a multi-agent system. Each ant is a simple agent with
colony algorithm, the method of adaptive
parameters intelligence, and migrating among nodes with ability to retrieve

coordination is put forward to construct a globally

optimizing

node routing table to fulfill the routing function. [3,4,5,6,8].

algorithm. The ns-2 simulation results show the routing protocol

The second class is ant optimization routing algorithm. Ant

is highly efficient and scalable comparing with existing
AODV
and DSR protocol.
searching food process is used for routing process and the

pheromone is used for next hop selecting, also can represent

Keywords- Ant algorithm; ad-hoc networks; routing
protocol, Qos parameter of network, such as energy [7]. The above two

routing schemes have their own characters in solving routing

Adaptive
problems. ARAAI is a protocol combining the two schemes to
I. INTRODUCTION
achieve their advantages. At the same time, due to the inherent

drawback of ant colony algorithm itself that the algorithm is

A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is a set of
mobile slow constringed and tends to sink into local
information,
nodes, which communicate over radio and do not need
any

improvement is still needed to upgrade global capability.

basic infrastructure or central administrator. This
kind of

ARAAI will combine advantage of proactive routing and on-

network is very flexible in the topology structure and suitable

demand routing advantages, providing multi-path, and offering

for temporary communication links, such as military
work,

adaptive control.
field medical emergency, and disaster applications. The nodes
are operated by low batteries and have limit transmission areas
of wireless devices. The each node in ad-hoc network
is not III. ARAAI ALGORITHM
only a wireless host but also a router device. Due to the node�s
Studies [9,10] show that ants have the ability to find the
mobility and dynamic topology, the routing algorithm
has shortest path between their nest and the food source.
The
become a key problem to solve the application
and ability is depended on a kind of substance called pheromone,
transmission quality in mobile ad-hoc networks. In this paper,
which is deposited on the path by ants. When an ant walking
the ARAAI algorithm for mobile ad-hoc routing is
proposed on a path, it deposits pheromone on it.
With time the
which is self-configured, self-built and distributed
routing concentration of pheromone decreases due to diffusion effects.
algorithm. ARAAI uses adaptive ant colony algorithm
into The probability of ants backing source to choose path depends
mobile ad-hoc routing process. Considering the
slow on the amount of pheromone. So the more ants visit, the larger
astringency of ant colony algorithm, the adaptive ant
colony amount of pheromone is deposited. Each node in the
mobile
routing algorithm is brought forward. It shows great advantage
ad-hoc network contains a routing table to record routing
for the mobility and dynamic topology network environment.
information and a neighbor table to maintain local connectivity.

The structure of node

routing table can be represented as
II. RELATED WORK
(initial node, last node, heuristic value). �initial node� records
the leaving initial place of ants, and �last node� records the

Current routing protocols for mobile ad-hoc

networks

address of the previous node. The heuristic value is local node

suffer form certain inherent shortcomings. On one side,
the

energy information collection, and it is used for selecting route

proactive routing schemes are not suitable for
dynamic when existing multi-path. Neighbor table is
represented as
topology, on the other side the on-demand routing
schemes connection between local and other nodes. It is
defined as:
lead to great communication delay. Both of them need
large

(neighbor, time, pheromone). Among it, �neighbor� is the

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neighbors of the current node. And �time� is a monitor

that In the forward ants process, current node will
select one of
maintains the connections with its neighbors in the way
of the neighbor nodes as next hop randomly.
Then the ants will
sending a hello broadcast every specific second to see if
the update node table with last node
and pheromone. For
neighbors are still there. The �pheromone� represents the local
destination D, the probability of selecting a
neighbor j is
link situation and quality, and it�s a reflection of link reliability.
formula (1).
At the beginning, the pheromone in the network is a constant
then it varies with ants routing. Ants in the protocol are used

? t a t �
for route building through simulating
biological behavior, t ( ) ? dij ( ) ij

j�allowed

k ? a � ? k
which are simple agents with certain intelligence
migrating p dij ? ? t ( )t ? dis ( )t is
(1)

t allowed

?
 between nodes to communicate computation
and recall ? k

?0 �otherwise
conclusion. Those ants will retrieve node with new route
to
fulfill all the routing function. And the ants can offer multi-path,

t
and the selection from lower energy to a higher energy route is
The amount of ants is represented by m, at node i,
ij (t) is
possible. As other existing routing algorithm, ARAAI can be
the remaining pheromone in the path at time t, andt ij
(0) = C
divided into two parts: route discovery and route maintenance.

(C is a constant) at the initial time. When establishing a route

4.1 Route Discovery
discovery, the k (k=1,2�m) kinds of ants are created. ?
ij is the

local heuristic value of the link(i,j) between node i and node j.

Route Discovery is used for creating paths from source to
Here it represents link stability because the node mobility and
destination. When source wants to
communicate with

topology can do great effect on ad-hoc routing. The stability

destination, it�ll look up in the node routing table to see if there
can be calculated in the following way:
have existed some routes firstly. If not, a
route discovery

R d -
process is created by source toward destination. The creation of
i ij

? ij R
new routes requires the use of the forward ants and backward
M . i is the transmission range of node
ants. The ant is a mobile agent, which can
migrate in the d
network links to update node information and
record route i, and ij the current distance at time between i
and j. M is the

searching situation. Firstly, some numbers of forward ants are

average velocity of the nodes. The above formula assuming at
dispatched to search the routes from source to destination, and
time t, the node m starts moving outwards with an average
collect paths� information and intermediate
nodes� local allowed
information as they travel. When the forward ants
arrive at velocity M. The k is the
allowed next-hop set for the
destination, all of them are recalled and the backward ants are
kth ants, but the next node should be prevented form searching
dispatched by destination. The backward ants will carry with
for those who have been visited before. This is
used for

allowed
corresponding forward ants� information, and
be sent back constraining to guarantee of loop free. So
the k can
following the reverse path of corresponding forward ants.
It be calculated in:
will retrieve node routing table. Finally the
routes can be
developed. In all, the forward ants phase is the flooding process
to searching usable paths, and the backward ants phase is the
nbset{ jallowedj } j node(2) � - .

k 1i, 2, l exist

routing developed phase. Sometimes there are multi-path for

users to choose depending on the heuristic value in the
node is the
neighbor set of current node i,

nbset j j j { � }
routing table. Figure 2 is the ARAAI route discovery process.
1i, 2 , l

which can be searched in local node routing

table. And
Source
nodeexist is the nodes that have been visited before. Every ant
Backwar d ant s ar
e is a mobile agent with intelligence that has a memory
of visited
recal l ed, and rout
e
dispatch Y are est abl i shed.
nodes set. They only search those nodes that they
haven�t
forward ants
Next node is
visited yet. With time goes by, the pheromone
will be
source N
evaporated and lapses at last to simulating the link stability

situation. The parameter 1- ? represents the

evaporation
Node routing table Node
routing table degree. After time n, the remaining
pheromone on each link
(Source, last node, Intermidiate
(Destination, last node,
heuristic value) node heuristic
value) will use the following formula to compute.

t he forward ant s ar e
 the
forward ants are
dispatched to update the
recalled and destination
routing table information:
dispatch backward ants to
initial node = Source, last
? ?

( ) * t ( ) n t � ( 0 ,1)

node=last passing path node. It update

the routing table t ij + ? t ij + t
ij ? (3)
inform
ation:
is the multi-path routing, so
initial node = Destination, m k
there can be more than one last last
node=last passing path =? ? t ij ? t ij
nodes recorded. At the same
Next node is node.
It is the multi-path k 1
time, update the pheromone. N destination
routing, so there can be
Ants will retrieve node battery more
than one last nodes
energy as heuristic value for Y
recorded. At the same time, k
th
multi-path selecting. update
the pheromone t ij represents the remaining pheromone of
the k ants in

the path. ? t is the increment of pheromone in the path (i,j). If

ij
Destination

k th ants don�t come across the path (i,j), ?t k will be

value 0.

ij
Figure 1. The AARA route discovery process

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The calculation of ?t ij , the ant cycle system model is taken

The formula (6) can improve the selecting probability when

? value is too big. And r is a equality-distributed random

into consideration.
th
number in range (0,1). When ? value is too small, the rule of
 ? Q If the k ant uses edge(i,j)
coordinating pheromone is taken as formula (6). ?min is
the
k ? between t and t+1
(4) minimum of ? (t).
=? t ij ? hopcount k
?0
? otherwise

t - �if - t =
0 . 95
( 1 ) 0 . 95 ( 1 ) 0 . 95 ? ?
?

? t

( ) ? ( 7 )

?? min � else

In the backward ants process, the backward ants follow the

reverse path of their corresponding forward ants, then update
4.2 Route Maintenance
the node routing table including last hop address and neighbor

In mobile ad-hoc network, the flexible mobility and

table including pheromone values too. The update of routing
communication interference will lead to the invalidation
of
table is used for routing establishment, since the
exact

some route. For example, a node between source

and
intermediate nodes are recorded in the node route table
�last

destination is removed from the network, so the source can�t

node� item accordingly between source and
destination. If

use the original route path to send data packets. Route

there are several route paths for selecting, their

complete

maintenance phase takes the burden of supervising network

information will all be recorded in routing table. But only one

link state. ARAAI algorithm uses periodical hello broadcasting

route path will be taken when in communication.
The

to maintain local connectivity. The �time� item in neighbor

pheromone trails encode a long-term memory about the whole
table describes the valid period of each link, and a
hello
ant search process. The basic principle of ant colony algorithm

message enquiry is taken to get knowledge of the link existence

is to find a balance between exploration and exploitation, and

after the specific time. When the network topology has some
tries to find problem optimization solution range.
So the

changes, the removed node can�t answer the hello message. If

pheromone value on the established routing path need to be

the current node has another path of the route in the

routing
increased additionally using below formula:

table, then a new alternative is taken immediately. Else, the

route maintenance will stop sending packets with the expired

t k Q f h ( ) (5)
route, and forward a ROUTE_ERROR message to the upper
=? +
ij j
nodes to find an alternative. At the same time, the
link
hopcount k

pheromone value is set to 0. Then the upper node searches for

an alternative link in its routing table to see if there

exists a
h is heuristic value in node routing table, and here
the second link usable. Otherwise the node informs its upper nodes
j
battery energy is only considered. There may exist
several too, hoping that they can relay the packet. Either the packet can
routes established in ARAAI, so route selecting should
take be transported to the destination node or the
backtracking
heuristic value information into consideration. The
several continues to the source node. If the packet does not reach the
established routes can be graded by heuristic value, and
the destination, the source has to initiate a new route
discovery
pheromone update should reference the rule.
phase.

Ant colony algorithm has the problem of slow astringency

The route maintenance also should take the situation of
and tending to stagnation behavior. When in stagnation, the
loops into consideration. In ARAAI, the problem can be solved
searching ability of forward ants will be constrained
a lot. in route discovery ants phase. In formula (2), node
exist can
When routing process is occurred in a large-scale
ad-hoc remember the nodes that have been visited before.
Because
network, the above problem is more obvious. If the parameter
every ant has intelligence to record searched node. Route path
? is too big, the evaporation degree will be very low. So the
loop can be prevented efficiently, since each ant has
the
link pheromone value is big, then the probability is also big for
memory to visit the nodes that have not been searched before.
those next nodes that have been searched before. Nearly all the
allowed k is the set of selecting next hop with permission. It
forward ants select the same route paths for next
hops. If is coordinated dynamically. Data packets
use the route
? value is too small, the evaporation degree is high. Then the
searched by the ants, so the data packets using the route will be
link pheromone value is very small even tend to value 0. So the
prevented from the loop.
global searching ability will be weakened in the situation. Here
the adaptive coordination of the parameters is used to improve
4.3 Evaluation
forward ants global searching ability. When selecting
next The ARAAI protocol in the paper has
combined the
branch, the adaptive method has been added into formula (1) to
advantage of proactive and on-demand routing schemes, and
solve the problem. It combines random node selection with
prevented from their drawbacks. ARAAI protocol uses mobile
fixed node selection method. For node i, the next node j can be
agents as ants to discovery route, which do not transmit much
selected with:

routing information. It is suitable for flexible mobility and

dynamic topology of ad-hoc network, and less data need to be

? t {? a � } ?
transport between nodes. There are no routing tables that are
arg max ( ) ( ) = ( )
? t t ifr t �
j ? t allowed? k iu iu ( 6 )
interchanged between the nodes, so the expected overhead of
?use : formula (1) �else
?
ARAAI is very small. The route path selecting is depended on

pheromone, and then the local heuristic value in routing table is

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a factor to choose among several alternative route paths. The

V. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
adaptive coordination of pheromone is added to improve global

ARAAI is a suitable routing algorithm for solving the

searching ability and prevent ants� stagnation.
routing problem in mobile ad-hoc networks. It uses the

adaptive ant colony algorithm to realize route discovery and

IV. SIMULATION RESULTS
make improvement in global searching optimization. ARAAI is
ARAAI algorithm is implemented in ns-2 simulator. The
self-built and self-configured optimization algorithm that
simulation environment is that: 50 mobile nodes working with
matches the characteristics of ad-hoc networks. The protocol
IEEE 802.11, the area is . Each mode move
has been tested with ns-2 simulator, and the results turn out
m1000 m � 25
with maximal 10m/s, the whole simulation lasts 300s. The
ARAAI has good performance comparing with AODV and
node mobility is expressed by the pause times 0,60,120,300
DSR. The future work is tending to enhance the algorithm to
seconds.
get better efficiency and scalability. The route discovery delay

should be reduced using speeding techniques, and the local

heuristic information can contain more Qos factors such as link

100
bandwidth, delay, and delay jitter. The other future work aspect
) DSR
y 95
is to explore the relationship of ant number with protocol
r %
e ( AODV
v o
performance.
i i 90
l t
e a AARAI
D R 85

80
0 60 120 300
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