Bandwidth-guaranteed fair scheduling with effective excess bandwidth allocation for wireless networks

Traffic scheduling is key to the provision of quality of service (QoS) differentiation and guarantees in wireless networks. Unlike its wireline counterpart, wireless communications pose special channel-specific problems such as time-varying link capacities and location-dependent errors. These problems make designing efficient and effective traffic scheduling algorithms for wireless networks very challenging. Although many wireless packet scheduling algorithms have been proposed in recent years, issues such as how to improve bandwidth efficiency and maintain goodput fairness with various link qualities for power-constrained mobile hosts remain unresolved. In this paper, we devise a simple wireless packet scheduling algorithm called bandwidth-guaranteed fair scheduling with effective excess bandwidth allocation (BGFS-EBA), which addresses these issues. Our studies reveal that BGFS-EBA effectively distributes excess bandwidth, strikes a balance between effort-fair and outcome-fair, and provides a delay bound for error-free flows and transmission effort guarantees for error-prone flows. © 2008 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Channel-predictive link layer ARQ protocols in wireless networks

Communication performance over a wireless channel should be considered according to two main parameters: energy and throughput. The reliable data transfer is a key to these goals. The reliable node-to-node data transfer is performed by link layer protocols. One prominent approach is Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocol. The traditional ARQ protocols attempt to recover the erroneously transmitted frames by retransmitting those frames, regardless of the channel state. Since this channel state unaware behaviour may cause unnecessary retransmissions, traditional ARQ protocols are expected to be energy inefficient. Some ideas have been proposed such as stochastic learning automaton based ARQ, and channel probing based ARQ. However, these algorithms do not attempt to estimate the channel\u27s existing condition. Instead, the retransmission decision is made according to a simple feedback, on whether the previous frame was successful. This thesis presents four proposed algorithms, which incorporates the channel state estimate in the feedback process to judiciously select a frame (re)transmission timing instant. Algorithms have been applied on Stop-and-Wait (S-W) ARQ, and the performance have been compared with respect to simple S-W ARQ, and probing based S-W ARQ. In probing based ARQ, when the channel deteriorates, transmitter starts probing channel periodically, but the periodicity is chosen arbitrarily, regardless of the fading state. In contrast, the proposed algorithms estimate the channel\u27s existing condition by using feedbacks, and the probing interval is chosen according to the Average Fading Duration (AFD) of received signal. Simulations are performed with Rayleigh Fading Channel. The performance results show that at the cost of some additional delay, significiant gain on energy saving and throughput performance can be achieved when AFD based intelligent probing is done

Cross-layer multiservice opportunistic scheduling for wireless networks

We consider opportunistic communication in multiservice wireless data networks using centralized controllers. Opportunistic scheduling (OS) is an emerging cross-layer media access control design approach to multiuser communication over fading wireless channels. OS exploits channel variations to maximize wireless throughput. We present a general background of OS schemes and then propose an OS scheme making an optimum trade-off between throughput and fairness, while maintaining stability in different channel environments and guaranteeing minimum service to multiple queues active concurrently at a given user

Delay analysis for wireless applications using a multiservice multiqueue processor sharing model

The ongoing development of wireless networks supporting multimedia applications requires service providers to efficiently deliver complex Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. The wide range of new applications in these networks significantly increases the difficulty of network design and dimensioning to meet QoS requirements. Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols affect QoS achieved by wireless networks. Research on analysis and performance evaluation is important for the efficient protocol design. As wireless networks feature scarce resources that are simultaneously shared by all users, processor sharing (PS) models were proposed for modelling resource sharing mechanisms in such systems. In this thesis, multi-priority MAC protocols are proposed for handling the various service traffic types. Then, an investigation of multiservice multiqueue PS models is undertaken to analyse the delay for some recently proposed wireless applications. We start with an introduction to MAC protocols for wireless networks which are specified in IEEE standards and then review scheduling algorithms which were proposed to work with the underlying MAC protocols to cooperatively achieve QoS goals. An overview of the relevant literature is given on PS models for performance analysis and evaluation of scheduling algorithms. We propose a multiservice multiqueue PS model using a scheduling scheme in multimedia wireless networks with a comprehensive description of the analytical solution. Firstly, we describe the existing multiqueue processor sharing (MPS) model, which uses a fixed service quantum at each queue, and correct a subtle incongruity in previous solutions presented in the literature. Secondly, a new scheduling framework is proposed to extend the previous MPS model to a general case. This newly proposed analytical approach is based on the idea that the service quantum arranged by a MAC scheduling controller to service data units can be priority-based. We obtain a closed-form expression for the mean delay of each service class in this model. In summary, our new approach simplifies MAC protocols for multimedia applications into an analytical model that includes more complex and realistic traffic models without compromising details of the protocol and significantly reduces the number of MAC headers, thus the overall average delay will be decreased. In response to using the studied multiservice multiqueue PS models, we apply the MPS model to two wireless applications: Push to Talk (PTT) service over GPRS/GSM networks and the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) networks. We investigate the uplink delay of PTT over traditional GPRS/GSM networks and the uplink delay for WiMAX Subscriber Station scheduler under a priority-based fair scheduling. MAC structures capable of supporting dynamically varying traffic are studied for the networks, especially, with the consideration of implementation issues. The model provides useful insights into the dynamic performance behaviours of GPRS/GSM and WiMAX networks with respect to various system parameters and comprehensive traffic conditions. We then evaluate the model under some different practical traffic scenarios. Through modelling of the operation of wireless access systems, under a variety of multimedia traffic, our analytical approaches provide practical analysis guidelines for wireless network dimensioning

Cross-layer multiservice opportunistic scheduling for wireless networks

We consider opportunistic communication in multiservice wireless data networks using centralized controllers. Opportunistic scheduling (OS) is an emerging cross-layer media access control design approach to multiuser communication over fading wireless channels. OS exploits channel variations to maximize wireless throughput. We present a general background of OS schemes and then propose an OS scheme making an optimum trade-off between throughput and fairness, while maintaining stability in different channel environments and guaranteeing minimum service to multiple queues active concurrently at a given user

Resource Allocation in Relay-based Satellite and Wireless Communication Networks

A two-level bandwidth allocation scheme is proposed for a slotted Time-Division Multiple Access high data rate relay satellite communication link to provide efficient and fair channel utilization. The long-term allocation is implemented to provide per-flow/per-user Quality-of-Service guarantees and shape the average behavior. The time-varying short-term allocation is determined by solving an optimal timeslot scheduling problem based on the requests and other parameters. Through extensive simulations, the performance of a suitable MAC protocol with two-level bandwidth allocation is analyzed and compared with that of the existing static fixed-assignment scheme in terms of end-to-end delay and successful throughput. It is also shown that pseudo-proportional fairness is achieved for our hybrid protocol. We study rate control systems with heterogeneous time-varying propagation delays, based on analytic fluid flow models composed of first-order delay-differential equations. Both single-flow and multi-flow system models are analyzed, with special attention paid to the Mitra-Seery algorithm. The stationary solutions are investigated. For the fluctuating solutions, their dynamic behavior is analyzed in detail, analytically and numerically, in terms of amplitude, transient behavior, fairness and adaptability, etc.. Especially the effects of heterogeneous time-varying delays are investigated. It is shown that with proper parameter design the system can achieve stable behavior with close to pointwise proportional fairness among flows. Finally we investigate the resource allocation in 802.16j multi-hop relay systems with rate fairness constraints for two mutually exclusive options: transparent and non-transparent relay systems (T-RS and NT-RS). Single-Input Single-Output and Multi-Input Multi-Output antenna systems are considered in the links between the Base Station (BS) and Relay Stations (RS). 1 and 3 RSs per sector are considered. The Mobile Station (MS) association rule, which determines the access station (BS or RS) for each MS, is also studied. Two rules: Highest MCS scheme with the highest modulation and coding rate, and Highest (Mod) ESE scheme with the highest (modified) effective spectrum efficiency, are studied along with the optimal rule that maximizes system capacity with rate fairness constraints. Our simulation results show that the highest capacity is always achieved by NT-RS with 3 RSs per sector in distributed scheduling mode, and that the Highest (Mod) ESE scheme performs closely to the optimal rule in terms of system capacity

Fairness-Oriented and QoS-Aware Radio Resource Management in OFDMA Packet Radio Networks: Practical Algorithms and System Performance

During the last two decades, wireless technologies have demonstrated their importance in people’s personal communications but also as one of the fundamental drivers of economic growth, first in the form of cellular networks (2G, 3G and beyond) and more recently in terms of wireless computer networks (e.g. Wi-Fi,) and wireless Internet connectivity. Currently, the development of new packet radio systems is evolving, most notably in terms of 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced, in order to utilize the available radio spectrum as efficiently as possible. Therefore, advanced radio resource management (RRM) techniques have an important role in current and emerging future mobile networks. In all wireless systems, the data throughput and the average data delay performance, especially in case of best effort services, are greatly degraded when the traffic-load in the system is high. This is because the radio resources (time, frequency and space) are shared by multiple users. Another big problem is that the transmission performance can vary heavily between different users, since the channel state greatly depends on the communication environment and changes therein. To solve these challenges, new major technology innovations are needed. This thesis considers new practical fairness-oriented and quality-of-service (QoS) -aware RRM algorithms in OFDMA-based packet radio networks. Moreover, using UTRAN LTE radio network as application example, we focus on analyzing and enhancing the system-level performance by utilizing state-of-the-art waveform and radio link developments combined with advanced radio resource management methods. The presented solutions as part of RRM framework consist of efficient packet scheduling, link adaptation, power control, admission control and retransmission mechanisms. More specifically, several novel packet scheduling algorithms are proposed and analyzed to address these challenges. This dissertation deals specifically with the problems of QoS provisioning and fair radio resource distribution among users with limited channel feedback, admission and power control in best effort and video streaming type traffic scenarios, and the resulting system-level performance. The work and developments are practically-oriented taking aspects like finite channel state information (CSI), reporting delays and retransmissions into account. Consequently, the multi-user diversity gain with opportunistic frequency domain packet scheduling (FDPS) is further explored in spatial domain by taking the multiantenna techniques and spatial division multiplexing functionalities into account. Validation and analysis of the proposed solutions is performed through extensive system level simulations modeling the behavior and operation of a complete multiuser cell in the overall network. Based on the obtained performance results, it is confirmed that greatly improved fairness can be fairly easily built in to the scheduling algorithm and other RRM mechanisms without considerably degrading e.g. the average cell throughput. Moreover, effective QoS-provisioning framework in video streaming type traffic scenarios demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented solutions as increased system capacity measured in terms of the number of users or parallel streaming services supported simultaneously by the network