DTN technologies for vehicular networks

A Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) is one type of challenged network where network contacts are inter-mittent or link performance is highly variable or extreme. In such a network, a complete path does not exist from source to destination for most of the time. In addition, the path can be highly unstable and may change or break unexpectedly. To make communication possible in a delay tolerant network, the intermediate nodes need to take custody of data during the blackout and forward it toward the destination when the connectivity resumes. A vehicular network nicely falls into the context of DTN since the mobility of vehicles constantly causes the disruption of link connectivity's between vehicles. In this chapter, the authors discuss some research challenges and issues which might occur in a Delay Tolerant Network and how they are related to vehicular networks.