Opportunistic Data Aggregation in Delay Tolerant Networks

Delay Tolerant Networks are well suited for longterm statistical data collection, where the installation of infrastructure is impossible or not worthwhile. Those scenarios generally employ wireless links and are often based on limited energy resources such as batteries or battery-buffered solar power. Hence, reducing energy consumption is of foremost importance. In-network data aggregation reduces the amount of data that is to be transferred and therefore lowers the energy consumption. This paper presents an opportunistic, application-independent data aggregation approach for Delay Tolerant Networks. By employing a generic configuration mechanism, applications can specify which bundles to aggregate. Using a standardized data format for measurement values allows intermediate nodes to aggregate a given set of bundles using so-called aggregation functions. The evaluation shows significant reductions in terms of energy consumption in two realistic, exemplary scenarios.