Smart and Balanced Clustering for MANETs

Clustering is the most widely used performance solution for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), enabling their scalability for a large number of mobile nodes. The design of clustering schemes is quite complex, due to the highly dynamic topology of such networks. A numerous variety of clustering schemes have been proposed in literature, focusing different characteristics and objectives. In this work, a fully distributed and clusterhead-free clustering scheme is proposed, namely Smart and Balanced Clustering for MANETs (SALSA). The scheme introduces a new cluster balancing mechanism and a best clustering metric, aiming to provide a reduced maintenance overhead. SALSA was evaluated and compared with the Novel Stable and Low-maintenance Clustering Scheme (NSLOC), featuring topologies with up to 1000 nodes and velocities of 20 meters per second. Results confirmed the performance efficiency of the new scheme, providing stability and low maintenance overhead, even in the largest networks.