System-level analysis of the tradeoffs between power saving and capacity/QoS with DRX in LTE

In an LTE cell, Discontinuous Reception (DRX) allows the central base station to configure User Equipment for periodic wake/sleep cycles, so as to save energy. Several parameters are associated to DRX operations, thus allowing for optimal performance with different traffic profiles (i.e., CBR-like, bursty, periodic arrivals of variable-sized packets, etc.). This work investigates how to configure these parameters and explores the tradeoff between power saving, on one side, and per-user QoS and cell capacity, on the other. Unlike previous work, mostly based on analytical models neglecting key aspects of LTE, our evaluation is carried out using a fully-fledged packet simulator. This allows us to discover previously unknown relationships and to propose configuration guidelines for operators

A comprehensive simulation analysis of LTE Discontinuous Reception (DRX)

In an LTE cell, Discontinuous Reception (DRX) allows the central base station to configure User Equipments for periodic wake/sleep cycles, so as to save energy. DRX operations depend on several parameters, which can be tuned to achieve optimal performance with different traffic profiles (i.e., CBR vs. bursty, periodic vs. sporadic, etc.). This work investigates how to configure these parameters and explores the trade-off between power saving, on one side, and per-user QoS, on the other. Unlike previous work, chiefly based on analytical models neglecting key aspects of LTE, our evaluation is carried out via simulation. We use a fully-fledged packet simulator, which includes models of all the protocol stack, the applications and the relevant QoS metrics, and employ factorial analysis to assess the impact of the many simulation factors in a statistically rigorous way. This allows us to analyze a wider spectrum of scenarios, assessing the interplay of the LTE mechanisms and DRX, and to derive configuration guidelines