Ordering in Mobile Networks Using Integrated Sequencers

Abstract

Distributed applications mostly interact by exchanging messages. For this purpose the messages often need to be ordered. Since today more and more mobile devices are used message ordering in mobile networks is increasingly important. Most ordering protocols for mobile networks use vector clocks or matrices. In static networks often multicast trees ensure message ordering. In this paper we propose a multicast protocol which ensures total order in a mobile environment. It uses sequencers organized in a tree-structure to obtain this total order, and introduces no extra-cost. This is because sequencers form no additional part of the network, in fact they are integrated and embedded network components.