Abstract—Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) are characterized by several dynamic factors (e.g., constant topology changes and limited node resources) which deeply affect data availability on the network. Therefore, a major challenge in this context is to develop autonomous adaptive application-dependent methods for data replication. This paper presents a distributed centrality algorithm based on an application-level message forward mechanism called Virtual Magnetic Fields that adjusts the center of the network graph according to dynamic factors such as data access frequency and node stability, while tackling changes in the network topology. By presenting and analyzing simulation results, this paper shows that the relocation of replicas of data based on the proposed algorithm significantly reduces the overall network traffic required to access those data.

Index Terms—Centrality, data replication, MANETs, virtual magnetic fields.

Gisane A. Michelon is with the UNICENTRO/Department of Computer Science, Guarapuava, Brazil.
Luiz A. P. Lima Jr., José Aélio de Oliveira Jr., and Gil E. de Andrade are with PUCPR/Post-Graduate Program on Computer Science (PPGIa), Curitiba, Brazil.

Cite:Gisane A. Michelon, Luiz A. P. Lima Jr., José Aélio de Oliveira Jr., Gil E. de Andrade, "Weighted Centrality by Potential for Replica Relocation in MANETs," International Journal of Computer and Electrical Engineering vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 151-160, 2016.