A Study on Development of Matrix Model of WMN for Mesh Clustering and its Validation

Abstract

Tracking and tracing network nodes and monitoring network topology pose a huge challenge in Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs). This becomes even more challenging in the scenario of multiple clusters, which keep performing hand-off handovers among each other for load management or link management purposes. In the dynamic and fragile WMN scenario, loss of connectivity is very common. In the case of multi-hop multi-gateway WMNs, such a scenario is very common. The architecture of the IEEE 802.11s WMN proposes a network wherein each node selects a gateway through which it routes its packets. A node selects the gateway based on its proximity in terms of the number of hop-distance and the Air Time Link Metric. Since the selection of gateway is done by a node on basis of its local information, more than often the scheduling of gateway becomes unfair. This leads to gateway congestion and a drop in the throughput of the network. In this paper, a model of a centralized gateway scheduling scheme is proposed. This paper proposes a matrix model of a clustered WMN. A well-defined gateway service set (cluster) is formed and then this is mapped onto the matrix model of the clustered WMN. In such a centralized scheme, an additional responsibility of tracking the nodes for connectivity is also addressed through this matrix model. This ensures no lost nodes or repeated nodes while the formation of clusters. Thereafter, the paper presents the process for validation of the integrity of WMN and its clusters through a mathematical model of WMN.