Continuous energy-efficient monitoring model for mobile ad hoc networks

The monitoring of mobile ad hoc networks is an observation task that consists of analysing the operational status of these networks while evaluating their functionalities. In order to allow the whole network and applications to work properly, the monitoring task has become of considerable importance. It must be carried out in real-time by performing measurements, logs, configurations, etc. However, achieving continuous energy-efficient monitoring in mobile wireless networks is very challenging considering the environment features as well as the unpredictable behavior of the participating nodes. This paper outlines the challenges of continuous energy-efficient monitoring over mobile ad hoc networks. We propose two strategies that can reduce the energy consumption and extend the lifetime of the monitoring system. We also formulate the continuous monitoring problem decision as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). The experimental results obtained by simulations, clearly show that our proposals can reduce significantly the energy consumption and increase the whole network lifetime.