  This paper focuses on a class of important two-hop relay mobile ad hoc
networks (MANETs) with limited-buffer constraint and any mobility model that
leads to the uniform distribution of the locations of nodes in steady state,
and develops a general theoretical framework for the end-to-end (E2E) delay
modeling there. We first combine the theories of Fixed-Point,
Quasi-Birth-and-Death process and embedded Markov chain to model the limiting
distribution of the occupancy states of a relay buffer, and then apply the
absorbing Markov chain theory to characterize the packet delivery process, such
that a complete theoretical framework is developed for the E2E delay analysis.
With the help of this framework, we derive a general and exact expression for
the E2E delay based on the modeling of both packet queuing delay and delivery
delay. To demonstrate the application of our framework, case studies are
further provided under two network scenarios with different MAC protocols to
show how the E2E delay can be analytically determined for a given network
scenario. Finally, we present extensive simulation and numerical results to
illustrate the efficiency of our delay analysis as well as the impacts of
network parameters on delay performance.
