A Cluster-Based Model for QoS-OLSR Protocol

The QOLSR is a multimedia protocol that was designed on top of the Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) protocol. It considers the Quality of Service (QoS) of the nodes during the selection of the Multi-Point Relay (MPRs) nodes. One of the drawbacks of this protocol is the network lifetime, where nodes with high bandwidth but limited energy can be selected to serve as MPRs. This would drain the nodes' residual energy and shorten the network lifetime. In this paper, we consider the tradeoff between prolonging the ad hoc network lifetime and QoS assurance based on QOLSR routing protocol. This can be achieved by (1) reducing the number of Multi-Point Relay (MPR) nodes without sacrificing the QoS and (2) considering the residual energy level, connectivity index, and bandwidth of these relay nodes. These objectives can be reached by deploying the clustering concept to QOLSR. Therefore, we propose a novel clustering algorithm and a relay node selection based on different combinations of metrics, such as connectivity, residual energy, and bandwidth. Four cluster-based models are derived. Simulation results show that the novel cluster-based QoS-OLSR model, based on energy and bandwidth metrics, can efficiently prolong the network lifetime, ensure QoS and decrease delay.