resources - Fast Broadcast modules for NS-2:

Problem:
Applications such as online gaming and alert message propagation are sensitive to per-packet delivery delays. Consider a Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET); in this context, the quick propagation of multi-hop broadcast messages generated by the aforementioned applications requires the deployment of specific solutions able to avoid redundant transmissions and other sources of message propagation delays.

Solution:
We have developed a solution that allows vehicles in a car platoon to dynamically estimate their transmission range and to exploit this information to efficiently propagate a broadcast message with as few hops (and transmissions) as possible. In essence, the farthest vehicle in the transmission range of a message sender/forwarder will be statistically privileged in becoming the next (and only) forwarder.
A more detailed explanation of the problem and of the solution can be found in [1], [2] (see References in this web page).

Implementation in NS-2:
To implement the solution described in [1], [2] we have created some new modules for the well known Network Simulator (version ns-2.29, altough it may work also with other versions).
Specifically, we have created the following modules:
- bbcast-packet.h includes the definition of the new packet header;
- bbcast-packet.cc includes the implementation of the functions to access the packet header;
- BroadcastbaseAgent.h includes the prototypes of the functions related to the broacast agent;
- BroadcastbaseAgent.cc includes the implementation of the functions of the broadcast agent;
- BroadcastbaseApp.h includes the definition of our application's class and, in general, the definition of the data structures utilized by our application;
- BroadcastbaseApp.cc includes the implementation of our application's class and, in general, all the functional components of our application (as described in [1], [2]).

All files, scripts, instructions to install and use our files, and a simulative configuration example (broadcast.tcl, representing a car platoon engaged in an online gaming application) can be found
altogether in fastbroadcast.zip

References:
[1] C. E. Palazzi, S. Ferretti, M. Roccetti, G. Pau, M. Gerla,
“How Do You Quickly Choreograph Inter-Vehicular Communications? A Fast Vehicle-to-Vehicle Multi-Hop Broadcast Algorithm, Explained”,
in Proc. of IEEE CCNC 2007, Las Vegas, NV, USA, IEEE Communications Society, Jan 2007.
[2] C. E. Palazzi, M. Roccetti, S. Ferretti,
“An Inter-Vehicular Communication Architecture for Safety and Entertainment”,
IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar 2010, 90-99.

If you use our module for a scientific publication, please cite our papers.
Questions, comments, criticisms, etc. can be directed to
cpalazzi[AT]math.unipd.it