Modeling Epidemic Information Dissemination on Mobile Devices with Finite Buffers

Epidemic algorithms have recently been proposed as an effective solution for disseminating information in large-scale peer-to-peer (P2P) systems and in mobile ad hoc networks (MANET). In this paper, we present a modeling approach for steady-state analysis of epidemic dissemination of information in MANET. As major contribution, the introduced approach explicitly represents the spread of multiple data items, finite buffer capacity at mobile devices and a least recently used buffer replacement scheme. Using the introduced modeling approach, we analyze seven degrees of separation (7DS) as one well-known approach for implementing P2P data sharing in a MANET using epidemic dissemination of information. A validation of results derived from the analytical model against simulation shows excellent agreement. Quantitative performance curves derived from the analytical model yield several insights for optimizing the system design of 7DS.