Ant-Based Topology Convergence Algorithms for Resource Management in VANETs Frank Chiang, Zenon Chaczko, Johnson Agbinya, and Robin Braun Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia frankj@eng.uts.edu.au Abstract. Frequent changes caused by IP-connectivity and user-oriented services in Inter-Vehicular Communication Networks (VCNs) set great challenges to construct reliable, secure and fast converged topology formed by trusted mobile nodes and links. In this paper, based on a new metric for network performance called topology convergence and a new Object- Oriented Management Information Base - active MIB (O:MIB), we pro- pose an ant-based topology convergence algorithm that applies the swarm intelligence metaphor to find the near-optimal converged topology in VCNs which maximizes system performance and guarantee a further sustainable and maintainable system topology to achieve Quality of Service (QoS) and system throughput. This algorithm is essentially a distributed approach in that each node collects information from local neighbor nodes by invoking the methods from each localized O:MIB, through the sending and receiving of ant packets from each active node, to find the appropriate nodes to con- struct a routing path. Simulation results show this approach can lead to a fast converged topology with regards to multiple optimization objectives, as well as scale to network sizes and service demands. 1 Introduction Vehicular Ad-hoc Communication Networks (VANETs) are becoming an active area in telecommunication research community [1]. As a Wireless LAN incorpo- rating Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs), VCNs target the design and deploy- ment of the QoS-assured, secure and high-speed communication connectivities on mobile platforms such as buses, trains, cars, ships, marine squad of battle- fields, where dispersed portable devices are enabled to establish on-demand per- vasive communications in decentralized manners. Inter-vehicular, Intra-vehicular ad-hoc mobile networks and vehicular-to-Internet communication networks are indispensable parts for the envisaged ubiquitous communication scenario, this adds more alternative ways for internetworking of WLANs, Satellite and Cellu- lar systems. Currently, vehicular communications are typically required to: (1) construct and maintain QoS-assured links, treat dynamic/static workload fairly and further assign reasonable resources to support user-oriented services; (2) provide acceptable reliability; (3) secure communication links and provide fault- tolerance and self-restoration mechanism; (4) scale to future expected network expansions and growths. R. Moreno-D´ ıaz et al. (Eds.): EUROCAST 2007, LNCS 4739, pp. 992–1000, 2007. c  Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007