Title: Efficient traffic load reduction algorithms for mitigating query hotspots for wireless sensor networks

Authors: Chia-Hsu Kuo; Tzung-Shi Chen; Ying-Hung Lo

Addresses: Department of Software Engineering, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan ' Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan ' Department of Information and Learning Technology, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan

Abstract: In query-based wireless sensor networks (WSNs), a hotspot may cause the heavy power consumption due to the frequent query request among nodes for specific events. A hotspot leads to the fluctuation of traffic flow and the unbalanced energy among those neighbouring nodes. To mitigate the hotspot phenomenon, a target region with the fluctuation of traffic flow around the hotspot to handle the unbalance traffic load is constructed first. In this paper, we propose two algorithms for mitigating query hotspots, distance-based mobile agent selection (DMAS) and greedy-based mobile agent selection (GMAS). The boundary node equipped with mobile agent is called limb node that moves around the hotspot. Experiment results include the comparisons of hotspot rate and total energy consumption, hotspot traffic rate with different RT value query frequency, and the effect of the hotspot overlay avoidance. The results show that DMAS and GMAS can mitigate the traffic rate of hotspot about 50%, effectively.

Keywords: wireless networks; WSNs; wireless sensor networks; query hotspots; mobile agents; DMAS; distance-based mobile agent selection; GMAS; greedy-based mobile agent selection; distance-based algorithms; greedy-based algorithms; traffic load; power consumption.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAHUC.2015.068129

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, 2015 Vol.18 No.3, pp.153 - 163

Received: 14 Feb 2013
Accepted: 06 Sep 2013
Published online: 20 Mar 2015 *

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