GP-pro: the generative programming protocol generator for routing in mobile ad hoc networks

Abstract

Routing in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) where network topology is highly dynamic is not a trivial task. Routing protocols have been profoundly researched but only three of them have reached the RFC status (AODV[7], OLSR[5] and TBPRF[6]). On the other hand, the constantly increasing network requirements in terms of bandwidth, robustness, reliability and quality of service for a broad range of multiplatform scenarios demand for fast development and implementation of routing protocols that satisfy specific user and network requirements. However, current practices for protocol development and implementation are costly error-prone and time-consuming, especially when existing knowledge is not properly reused. Generative Programming is an attractive solution that makes use of reusable components and is also empowered with the knowledge to automatically assemble them. This paper discusses the design and development of the GP- Pro protocol generator (based on generative programming), for automatic generation of ad hoc routing protocols, according to user requirements expressed by means of a specification language. GP-Pro is designed to be extensible, with the explicit goal of generating a large number of different protocols by different component combinations. GP-Pro addresses the generation of proactive, reactive and position-based routing protocols.