A Metric for DISH Networks: Analysis, Implications, and Applications
Tie Luo, Vikram Srinivasan, Mehul Motani · 2010
Abstract—In wireless networks, node cooperation has been exploited as a data relaying mechanism for decades. However, the wireless channel allows for much richer interaction among nodes. In particular, Distributed Information SHaring (DISH) represents a new improvement to multi-channel MAC protocol design by using a cooperative element at the control plane. In this approach, nodes exchange control information to make up for other nodes ’ insufficient knowledge about the environment, and thereby aid in their decision making. To date, what is lacking is a theoretical understanding of DISH. In this paper, we view cooperation as a network resource and evaluate the availability of cooperation, pco. We first analyze pco in the context of a multi-channel multi-hop wireless network, and then perform simulations which show that the analysis accurately characterizes pco as a function of underlying network parameters. Next, we investigate the correlation between pco and network metrics such as collision rate, packet delay, and throughput. We find a near-linear relationship between pco and the metrics, which suggests that pco can be used as an appropriate performance indicator itself. Finally, we apply our analysis to solving a channel bandwidth allocation problem, where we derive optimal schemes and provide general guidelines on bandwidth allocation for DISH networks. Index Terms—Distributed information sharing, control-plane cooperation, performance analysis, channel bandwidth allocation, multi-channel MAC protocols. F 1