An architecture for automatic service composition in MANET using a distributed service graph

•We propose a service composition protocol for MANETS based on a distributed graph.•A distributed graph is used to reduce the time needed to locate valid compositions.•Graph is constructed an maintained during the network’s lifetime.•Simulation shows that the graph effectively reduces service composition time.•However, the graph maintenance process has a penalty in the network congestion.

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) are wireless networks characterized by the dynamic nature of their members. The creation of these networks occurs in an unplanned manner and as a response to the distribution of services at each moment of its lifetime. The topology of a MANET can rapidly change and, therefore, these networks require mechanisms which allow participant devices to communicate with each other in spite of their mobility. A MANET can be applied in those situations where the deployment of a network without a fixed infrastructure is required. This research proposes a new protocol for the automatic composition of services in MANETs based on the construction and maintenance of a distributed service graph-DSG. This graph makes it possible to obtain the dependencies which exist among different services provided by the network devices, during a network’s lifetime, still responding to the changes which could arise. Later, this graph will be used during the composition process to reduce the time needed to locate valid solutions. Finally, the proposed architecture is fully implemented and evaluated using a network simulator, in order to gain knowledge about its advantages and limitations.