@phdthesis{, author = {Hagenhoff, Klement Maria}, title = {A Framework for Controller-Based Multi-Flow Routing in MANETs}, editor = {}, booktitle = {}, series = {}, journal = {}, address = {}, publisher = {}, edition = {}, year = {2024}, isbn = {}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, url = {}, doi = {}, keywords = {MANETs, Routing, Controller, Topology Update Algorithms, MCNFP}, abstract = {Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs) exhibit the exceptional functionality of routing and data delivery being carried out by the clients, distinguishing them from network architectures, where dedicated entities, such as routers, exist especially designed for path construction. MANET participants set up a wireless network, construct paths self-organized, and forward the upcoming data streams hop-by-hop to the desired destinations. This architecture does not rely on any cellular network to provide connectivity, which makes it attractive for the military. However, routing decisions of participants are often based on obsolete or incomplete network topology knowledge, since keeping routing tables consistent and up-to-date is highly intensive regarding control message overhead. In addition, participants of these networks are moving continuously and their connections are therefore subject to change. These temporary connections are restricted in terms of transmission capacities, thus provoking bottlenecks often resulting in Quality of Service (QoS) violations. Due to these mentioned characteristics, reliable data transfer is a challenge in MANETs. This thesis proposes a framework addressing the mentioned challenges, such as over-utilized network segments and constantly changing network topology, through a controlled distribution of all flows, also aiming for long connection lifetimes while considering the data rate demands. This framework comprises new techniques to quickly gather a complete and up-to-date network topology overview when a route is requested in a MANET. This can be achieved by establishing a controller outside the network or on any of the participants. In order to meet transmission capacity constraints and to accurately monitor and compute the network's data load, a transmission utilization model is presented and established in the controller's capabilities, thus enabling network load-aware routing. Based on up-to-date topology information, a robust and utilization-efficient routing technique is proposed, searching for long-living and capacity-conform paths of multiple flows while utilizing the MANETs as little as possible. We propose and compare several self-designed, extended, and existing pathfinding techniques comprising heuristic and exact methods and investigate beside the mentioned goals the runtimes of all proposed approaches. In order to tackle the constantly changing topology in MANETs, we define and apply a link quality metric for each connection, distinguishing robust from fragile connections aiming for minimum link breaks and longer path lifetimes when computing paths with each proposed pathfinding technique. To conclude, we propose potential application scenarios and provide recommendations, which pathfinding technique to apply in which use case considering their characteristics, the requirements, and the obtained results. This allows us to determine, which framework configuration is best suited to the respective application scenario in order to calculate long-lasting data transmissions in the shortest possible time, taking into account the capacity limits of the selected connections.}, note = {}, school = {Universität der Bundeswehr München}, }