Middleware proposals for mobile ad hoc networks

• Published in: Journal of network and computer applications Vol. 43; pp. 103 - 120
• Main Authors: da Silva, Eduardo, Albini, Luiz Carlos P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer systems and distributed systems. User interface; Computer systems performance. Reliability; Equipments and installations; Exact sciences and technology; MANETs; Middleware; Mobile radiocommunication systems; Radiocommunications; Reliability; Services; Software; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Services; Reliability; Middleware; MANETs; Rescue; Scalability; War; Disaster; Distributed computing; Modeling; Interoperability; Military application; Fault tolerance; Self organization; Infrastructure; Load balancing; Ad hoc network; Operating system; Mobile ad hoc network; Distributed system; Topology; Distributed algorithm; Wireless network; Resource management; Mobile computing
• ISSN: 1084-8045; 1095-8592
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnca.2014.04.010

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks are a very fascinating research topic, mainly due to their self-organized and autonomous nature and the absence of pre-established communication infrastructure requirements. In several scenarios, such as conference meetings, rescue operations and battlefields, these networks are extremely attractive. However, the particularities of MANETs, such as their dynamic topology, lack of infrastructure and decentralized characteristics, make the implementation of complex and flexible applications difficult. To enable the deployment of these applications and extend supporting services, several middleware solutions for MANETs can be found in the literature. Middleware is a software layer typically between the operating system and the distributed applications, transparently providing interoperability, distribution of functionality, scalability, load balancing and fault tolerance for the applications. This paper surveys all middleware solutions for MANETs, describing their operations, presenting a comparison of available functionalities and discussing their qualities and limitations, focused on services as group support, resource discovery, location, and security. Proposed middlewares are subdivided into five categories: tuple space-based, P2P-based, context-based, cross-layer and application-oriented solutions. The classification considered their design strategy and communication model characteristics. Also, all presented middleware solutions are depicted in figures, which facilitate the comparison between them. Further, at the end of each category, a summary table is available, making the overall analysis easier. Finally, the paper identifies open issues and researches directions on the design of middleware solutions for MANETs.