7,473 research outputs found
Control-data separation architecture for cellular radio access networks: a survey and outlook
Conventional cellular systems are designed to ensure ubiquitous coverage with an always present wireless channel irrespective of the spatial and temporal demand of service. This approach raises several problems due to the tight coupling between network and data access points, as well as the paradigm shift towards data-oriented services, heterogeneous deployments and network densification. A logical separation between control and data planes is seen as a promising solution that could overcome these issues, by providing data services under the umbrella of a coverage layer. This article presents a holistic survey of existing literature on the control-data separation architecture (CDSA) for cellular radio access networks. As a starting point, we discuss the fundamentals, concepts, and general structure of the CDSA. Then, we point out limitations of the conventional architecture in futuristic deployment scenarios. In addition, we present and critically discuss the work that has been done to investigate potential benefits of the CDSA, as well as its technical challenges and enabling technologies. Finally, an overview of standardisation proposals related to this research vision is provided
Green Networking in Cellular HetNets: A Unified Radio Resource Management Framework with Base Station ON/OFF Switching
In this paper, the problem of energy efficiency in cellular heterogeneous
networks (HetNets) is investigated using radio resource and power management
combined with the base station (BS) ON/OFF switching. The objective is to
minimize the total power consumption of the network while satisfying the
quality of service (QoS) requirements of each connected user. We consider the
case of co-existing macrocell BS, small cell BSs, and private femtocell access
points (FAPs). Three different network scenarios are investigated, depending on
the status of the FAPs, i.e., HetNets without FAPs, HetNets with closed FAPs,
and HetNets with semi-closed FAPs. A unified framework is proposed to
simultaneously allocate spectrum resources to users in an energy efficient
manner and switch off redundant small cell BSs. The high complexity dual
decomposition technique is employed to achieve optimal solutions for the
problem. A low complexity iterative algorithm is also proposed and its
performances are compared to those of the optimal technique. The particularly
interesting case of semi-closed FAPs, in which the FAPs accept to serve
external users, achieves the highest energy efficiency due to increased degrees
of freedom. In this paper, a cooperation scheme between FAPs and mobile
operator is also investigated. The incentives for FAPs, e.g., renewable energy
sharing and roaming prices, enabling cooperation are discussed to be considered
as a useful guideline for inter-operator agreements.Comment: 15 pages, 9 Figures, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology 201
Separation Framework: An Enabler for Cooperative and D2D Communication for Future 5G Networks
Soaring capacity and coverage demands dictate that future cellular networks
need to soon migrate towards ultra-dense networks. However, network
densification comes with a host of challenges that include compromised energy
efficiency, complex interference management, cumbersome mobility management,
burdensome signaling overheads and higher backhaul costs. Interestingly, most
of the problems, that beleaguer network densification, stem from legacy
networks' one common feature i.e., tight coupling between the control and data
planes regardless of their degree of heterogeneity and cell density.
Consequently, in wake of 5G, control and data planes separation architecture
(SARC) has recently been conceived as a promising paradigm that has potential
to address most of aforementioned challenges. In this article, we review
various proposals that have been presented in literature so far to enable SARC.
More specifically, we analyze how and to what degree various SARC proposals
address the four main challenges in network densification namely: energy
efficiency, system level capacity maximization, interference management and
mobility management. We then focus on two salient features of future cellular
networks that have not yet been adapted in legacy networks at wide scale and
thus remain a hallmark of 5G, i.e., coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and
device-to-device (D2D) communications. After providing necessary background on
CoMP and D2D, we analyze how SARC can particularly act as a major enabler for
CoMP and D2D in context of 5G. This article thus serves as both a tutorial as
well as an up to date survey on SARC, CoMP and D2D. Most importantly, the
article provides an extensive outlook of challenges and opportunities that lie
at the crossroads of these three mutually entangled emerging technologies.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 201
A survey of machine learning techniques applied to self organizing cellular networks
In this paper, a survey of the literature of the past fifteen years involving Machine Learning (ML) algorithms applied to self organizing cellular networks is performed. In order for future networks to overcome the current limitations and address the issues of current cellular systems, it is clear that more intelligence needs to be deployed, so that a fully autonomous and flexible network can be enabled. This paper focuses on the learning perspective of Self Organizing Networks (SON) solutions and provides, not only an overview of the most common ML techniques encountered in cellular networks, but also manages to classify each paper in terms of its learning solution, while also giving some examples. The authors also classify each paper in terms of its self-organizing use-case and discuss how each proposed solution performed. In addition, a comparison between the most commonly found ML algorithms in terms of certain SON metrics is performed and general guidelines on when to choose each ML algorithm for each SON function are proposed. Lastly, this work also provides future research directions and new paradigms that the use of more robust and intelligent algorithms, together with data gathered by operators, can bring to the cellular networks domain and fully enable the concept of SON in the near future
Quantifying Potential Energy Efficiency Gain in Green Cellular Wireless Networks
Conventional cellular wireless networks were designed with the purpose of
providing high throughput for the user and high capacity for the service
provider, without any provisions of energy efficiency. As a result, these
networks have an enormous Carbon footprint. In this paper, we describe the
sources of the inefficiencies in such networks. First we present results of the
studies on how much Carbon footprint such networks generate. We also discuss
how much more mobile traffic is expected to increase so that this Carbon
footprint will even increase tremendously more. We then discuss specific
sources of inefficiency and potential sources of improvement at the physical
layer as well as at higher layers of the communication protocol hierarchy. In
particular, considering that most of the energy inefficiency in cellular
wireless networks is at the base stations, we discuss multi-tier networks and
point to the potential of exploiting mobility patterns in order to use base
station energy judiciously. We then investigate potential methods to reduce
this inefficiency and quantify their individual contributions. By a
consideration of the combination of all potential gains, we conclude that an
improvement in energy consumption in cellular wireless networks by two orders
of magnitude, or even more, is possible.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1210.843
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