Abstract:
The recent advances in wireless communication
techniques have made it possible for fast-moving vehicles to
download data from the Internet. For the reliable data upload
and download, TCP can be used for vehicular networks. However, TCP requires the connection initialization using three-way
handshaking for the data exchange between two end systems over
the Internet. Thus, the efficient operation of TCP is important
for data services in the vehicular networks. This paper proposes
a method of TCP Context Migration Scheme (TOMS) for the
enhancement of data services in vehicular networks. TOMS
provides vehicles with proactive TCP connection initialization
using a moving TCP proxy as a cluster head, which will have
the Internet connectivity with a Road-Side Unit (RSU). A cluster
member can initiate its TCP connection toward its corresponding
TCP end-system (e.g., server and peer) via the TCP proxy within
its cluster. The TCP proxy performs the TCP connection set-up
for the sake of other cluster member vehicles and acknowledges
the received TCP segments toward these vehicles. When the TCP
proxy moves out of the communication range of the RSU, it
transfers the TCP contexts of other vehicles to another vehicle,
which will play the role of a TCP proxy through the proposed
TCP context migration scheme. Also, the RSU works as a fixed
TCP proxy for handling the acknowledgement of TCP segments
and TCP timer handling (e.g., persist timer and keepalive timer)
when there happens the disconnection between the moving proxy
and the RSU. Thus, it is shown that our TOMS outperforms the
legacy TCP in vehicular networks.
