Design and Implementation of the

OLSR Protocol in an Ad Hoc

Framework
Juan Gutirrez Plaza
Supervisor: Raimo Kantola
Instructor: Jos Costa Requena
Networking Laboratory - Helsinki University of Technology
October 2003
2
Outline
Introduction
Background
Motivation
Objectives
Framework
Tests & Results
Conclusions & Future Work
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Introduction
Ad Hoc Networks
Ad Hoc: For this and only this purpose
Networks without infrastructure
This Masters Thesis analyses Ad
Hoc networks
It proposes a solution for Ad Hoc
problems (e.g. routing problem)
4
Background (1/6)
Ad Hoc Networking
Networks without infrastructure
All nodes are capable of moving
Nodes work as routers
No wire connections
Flexible topology

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Background (2/6)
Ad Hoc networking is being studied
deeply
Very important applications
Maritime communications
Conferences and congresses
Military applications
Advantages
Networks without geographical constraints in
fixed networks
Flexible topology for a variety of applications
No wire connections
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Background (3/6)
Problems
Routing is very hard!
Nodes are constantly changing
Security
Vulnerabilities
Small devices
Batteries, little computing power
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Background (4/6)
Type of routing protocols
Pro-active
Routes are known beforehand
DSDV, OLSR
Re-active
Routes are searched for only when needed
DSR, AODV, TORA
Hybrid
Mix pro and re-active solutions
ZRP
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Background (5/6)
The OLSR Protocol (1/2)
Proactive protocol
Link state based (routes are known
beforehand)
Exchange topology information with
other nodes of the network regularly
Based on Multi Point Relays (MPRs)
MPRs minimize flooding
Selected nodes which forward broadcast
messages during the flooding process
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Background (6/6)
The OLSR Protocol (2/2)
MPRs (continued)
MPRs of a given node
must cover all two hop
nodes away from the
initial node
Type of control messages
Hello. Neighbour sensing
TC. Topology Control. This
messages are forwarded
like usual broadcast
messages


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Motivation
Creating an Ad Hoc Framework
architecture based on
multiprotocol nodes
Nodes run different routing protocols
Protocols collaborate during the lifetime
of the Ad Hoc network
Studying pro and re-active protocols
working together
Exploring new algorithms for Ad Hoc
networks
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Objectives (1/2)
Implementing the OLSR Protocol
Designing and implementing some
modules of the framework
The Common Cache
The Registry
The Common Cache Registry Server
(CCRS)
Running OLSR and AODV in the
same node
Reaching nodes in different types of
networks
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Objectives (2/2)
My work Mixed work Not implemented yet
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Framework (1/4)
Complete routing architecture for
Ad Hoc networks
Modules
Independent routing module
Common Ad Hoc module
Common Cache Register Server (CCRS)
Common Registry
Common Cache
Control Logic
Kernel Routing Table
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Framework (2/4)
The Ad Hoc Framework block diagram
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Framework (3/4)
Objectives
Collecting information from each
protocol
Evaluating this information
Choosing the best values for protocol
parameters in order to improve the
performance
Sending and receiving packets of other
nodes running a different protocol

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Framework (4/4)
Operations
Register a protocol
Unregister a protocol
Add a new route
Delete a route
Get a protocol configuration
Set a protocol configuration
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Tests & Results (1/5)
Configuration
6 nodes (5 iPAQs and 1 laptop)
All nodes were running a GNU/Linux
operating system
One MANET interface per node
OLSR and/or AODV
Inside the Electrical & Communications
Department building

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Tests & Results (2/5)
Test 1
Fully meshed nodes
running OLSR
Excellent behaviour
Maximum time for
discovering a route: 7 s
Average delay: 3.117 ms
0% packet lost
Incoming control packet
load: ~0.9 KB
No broken links
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Tests & Results (3/5)
Test 2
Nodes aligned within node range coverage
running only OLSR
Ping from the first node to the last node
Many broken links
Strange behaviour (interference or bugs?)
12% packet lost
Average delay: 27.7 ms
Maximum time for discovering a route: 15 s
Incoming control packet load: ~0.4 B
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Tests & Results (4/5)
Test 3
Nodes connected through a single intermediate
node
OLSR
Excellent behaviour
Maximum time for discovering a route: 15 s
2% packet lost
Incoming control packet load: ~0.5 B
Some broken links
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Tests & Results (5/5)
OLSR+AODV
AODV couldnt find OLSR nodes but OLSR nodes
could find AODV nodes
Very good behaviour (similar to previous case)
Common modules worked very well and central
node managed perfectly both protocols
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Conclusions & Future Work (1/2)
Conclusions
OLSR works quite well with static nodes
The behaviour is worse when nodes are
moving (links are broken)
With several hops the protocol has a
strange behaviour (interferences or
bugs?), the behaviour is different every
time the test is performed
Framework improves the performance
of protocols running alone
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Conclusions & Future Work (2/2)
Future work
Implementing the Control Logic module
Studying if the Control Logic algorithm
can be satisfied by devices with
reduced computational power (e.g.
iPAQs)
Deeper study of the cooperation of
protocols in the framework and their
performance
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Thank you!, Kiitos!, Gracias!


Any questions?