Enhancing Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks with SDN: A Novel SDMANET Architecture for Improved Routing and Performance

In the context of evolving applications, traditional MANETs encounter challenges in optimising bandwidth, managing node mobility, and efficiently managing power. These limitations impact network structure, organisational mode, stability, and the efficiency of upper-layer applications. This chapter introduces an innovative network architecture to address these issues by integrating SDN with MANET. SDN provides a centralised perspective of the network, facilitating enhanced control and decision-making in forwarding. To minimise the vulnerability of a single point of failure, the experimental setup includes an ONOS cluster as an alternative to a singular centralised controller. Notably, SDMANET outperforms conventional routing protocols concerning TCP and UDP throughput, revealing promising outcomes in average throughput and packet drop rates compared to earlier studies (Mishra et al. in Routing in software-defined mobile ad-hoc networks (SDMANET). US Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground United States, 2018; El-Garoui et al. in Smart Cities 3:1004–1021, 2020; Hakiri et al. in Managing wireless fog networks using software-defined networking, pp. 1149–1156, 2017). Particularly advantageous for 5G and 6G networks due to their scalability, dynamic network management, and resource optimisation features, SDMANET signifies a noteworthy progression in the realm of next-generation mobile networks, setting the stage for inventive developments in MANET structures based on SDN. SDMANET offers scalability, dynamic network management, and resource optimisation for 5G and 6G networks. It’s a significant advancement, enabling innovative developments in SDN-based MANET structures.