Internet Draft S. Corson
Expiration: May 1999 University of Maryland
File: draft-ietf-manet-appl-00.txt November 1998
MANET Routing Protocol Applicability Statement
Status of this Memo
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Abstract
This memo puts forth a set of questions regarding Mobile Ad hoc
Network (MANET) routing protocol functionality and applicability.
Authors of MANET routing protocol draft submissions are requested to
include these questions (and corresponding answers) in a section in
their submissions. The intent of this 'Applicability Section' is to
aid readers unfamiliar with the details of each protocol's design in
understanding the protocol's basic characteristics, functioning and
mechanisms, as well as to provide a general description of the
networking context for which the protocol was designed, and in which
it is expected to perform well.
1. Introduction
The set of applications for which the use of MANET technology is
envisioned is diverse, ranging from small, energy-constrained nearly
static networks to large-scale, mobile, highly-dynamic networks. The
combinations of network size, topology composition and dynamics,
bandwidth and energy availability, physical and link-layer
technologies, intended application usages, etc. are many, and it
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Internet Draft MANET Applicability Statement November 1998
seems unlikely that a single protocol will function superiorly over
this wide range of networking contexts. Thus a given protocol is
likely to be well-suited for operation in those networks whose
characteristics match well with the combination of mechanisms
employed by the protocol.
This document poses questions to the designers of MANET routing
protocols, the answers to which will hopefully:
(1) aid developers and users in understanding the basic mechanisms
employed by a protocol and
(2) help users make better selections of which protocol to
consider using by matching its mechanisms with the characteristics
of their networking context and application.
2. Applicability Section Framework
This section is intended to form the basis of a mandatory
"Applicability Section" to be included in each draft/RFC of the
proposed MANET control protocols.
2.1 Networking Context
Please describe the intended "networking context" for the protocol;
i.e., the type of networking environment for which the protocol is
best suited. This description can be as vague or specific as is
known to the authors.
2.2 Protocol Characteristics and Mechanisms
The following questions identify protocol characteristics that may
affect a protocol's suitability for various networking environments
and applications.
* Does the protocol provide support for unidirectional links? (if so,
how?)
* Does the protocol require the use of tunneling? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol require using some form of source routing? (if
so, how?)
* Does the protocol require the use of periodic messaging? (if so,
how?)
* Does the protocol require the use of reliable or sequenced packet
delivery? (if so, how?)
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* Does the protocol provide support for routing through a multi-
technology routing fabric? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol provide support for multiple hosts per router?
(if so, how?)
* Does the protocol support the IP addressing architecture? (if so,
how?)
* Does the protocol require link or neighbor status sensing (if so,
how?)
* Does the protocol have dependence on a central entity? (if so,
how?)
* Does the protocol function reactively? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol function proactively? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol provide loop-free routing? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol provide for sleep period operation? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol provide some form of security? (if so, how?)
* Does the protocol provide support for utilizing multi-channel,
link-layer technologies? (if so, how?)
Author's Address
M. Scott Corson
Institute for Systems Research
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
(301) 405-6630
corson@isr.umd.edu
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