Exchanging data traffic between network nodes in a device-to-device communication network and an external data network

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes the at least one processing device:

• to generate, for a given one of a plurality of network nodes in a device-to-device communication network, a link-local network address for communications in the device-to-device communication network, wherein the link-local network address is generated based at least in part on a unique identifier associated with the given network node;
• to determine at least one measure of radio access network signal strength for the given network node for at least one corresponding radio access network, the corresponding radio access network comprising one or more radio access network base stations facilitating access to a data network external to the device-to-device communication network;
• responsive to the at least one measure of the radio access network signal strength being above a designated signal strength threshold, to assign a first communication role in the device-to-device communication network to the given network node;
• responsive to the at least one measure of the radio access network signal strength being at or below the designated signal strength threshold, to assign a second communication role in the device-to-device communication network, different than the first communication role in the device-to-device communication network, to the given network node;
• to assign the given network node to a given one of two or more groups of the plurality of network nodes based at least in part on a logical distance between the given network node and one or more other ones of the plurality of network nodes, the logical distance being based at least in part on a difference between one or more portions of the link-local network address generated for the given network node and one or more corresponding portions of one or more other link-local network addresses generated for the one or more other ones of the plurality of network nodes;
• and
• to exchange data traffic between the given network node and the external data network based at least in part on (i) which of the first communication role in the device-to-device communication network and the second communication role in the device-to-device communication network is assigned to the given network node and (ii) the given one of the two or more groups of the plurality of network nodes to which the given network node is assigned.

A method comprising:

• generating, for a given one of a plurality of network nodes in a device-to-device communication network, a link-local network address for communications in the device-to-device communication network, wherein the link-local network address is generated based at least in part on a unique identifier associated with the given network node;
• determining at least one measure of radio access network signal strength for the given network node for at least one corresponding radio access network, the corresponding radio access network comprising one or more radio access network base stations facilitating access to a data network external to the device-to-device communication network;
• responsive to the at least one measure of the radio access network signal strength being above a designated signal strength threshold, assigning a first communication role in the device-to-device communication network to the given network node;
• responsive to the at least one measure of the radio access network signal strength being at or below the designated signal strength threshold, assigning a second communication role in the device-to-device communication network, different than the first communication role in the device-to-device communication network, to the given network node;
• assigning the given network node to a given one of two or more groups of the plurality of network nodes based at least in part on a logical distance between the given network node and one or more other ones of the plurality of network nodes, the logical distance being based at least in part on a difference between one or more portions of the link-local network address generated for the given network node and one or more corresponding portions of one or more other link-local network addresses generated for the one or more other ones of the plurality of network nodes;
• and
• exchanging data traffic between the given network node and the external data network based at least in part on (i) which of the first communication role in the device-to-device communication network and the second communication role in the device-to-device communication network is assigned to the given network node and (ii) the given one of the two or more groups of the plurality of network nodes to which the given network node is assigned;
• wherein the method is performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.