Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks: Algorithms and Protocols for Scalable Coordination and Data Communication

Chapter 5

Multicasting, Geocasting, and Anycasting in Sensor and Actuator Networks

Arnaud Casteigts, Amiya Nayak, and Ivan Stojmenovic

School of Information Technology and Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N6N5

Abstract

This chapter reviews the scenarios where a given message is sent from a single source to possibly several destinations. These scenarios can be subdivided into multicasting, geocasting, multiratecasting, and anycasting. In multicasting, a given message must be routed from one node to a number of destinations whose locations may be arbitrary and spread over the network. Geocasting destinations are all nodes located in a given geographical area. Multiratecasting is a generalization of multicasting, where regular messages are sent from a source to several destinations, possibly at a different rate for each destination. Finally, in an anycasting scenario, a source must send a message to any node among a given set of destinations, preferably only one. Each of these scenarios corresponds to a typical use case in sensor and actuator networks.