Scheduling Policies in Time and Frequency Domains for LTE Downlink Channel: A Performance Comparison

A key feature of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system is that the packet scheduler can make use of the channel quality information (CQI), which is periodically reported by user equipment either in an aggregate form for the whole downlink channel or distinguished for each available subchannel. This mechanism allows for wide discretion in resource allocation, thus promoting the flourishing of several scheduling algorithms, with different purposes. It is therefore of great interest to compare the performance of such algorithms under different scenarios. Here, we carry out a thorough performance analysis of different scheduling algorithms for saturated User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) traffic sources, as well as consider both the time- and frequency-domain versions of the schedulers and for both flat and frequency-selective channels. The analysis makes it possible to appreciate the difference among the scheduling algorithms and to assess the performance gain, in terms of cell capacity, users' fairness, and packet service time, obtained by exploiting the richer, but heavier, information carried by subchannel CQI. An important part of this analysis is a throughput guarantee scheduler, which we propose in this paper. The analysis reveals that the proposed scheduler provides a good tradeoff between cell capacity and fairness both for TCP and UDP traffic sources

Cross-layer scheduling and resource allocation for heterogeneous traffic in 3G LTE

3G long term evolution (LTE) introduces stringent needs in order to provide different kinds of traffic with Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics. The major problem with this nature of LTE is that it does not have any paradigm scheduling algorithm that will ideally control the assignment of resources which in turn will improve the user satisfaction. This has become an open subject and different scheduling algorithms have been proposed which are quite challenging and complex. To address this issue, in this paper, we investigate how our proposed algorithm improves the user satisfaction for heterogeneous traffic, that is, best-effort traffic such as file transfer protocol (FTP) and real-time traffic such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP). Our proposed algorithm is formulated using the cross-layer technique. The goal of our proposed algorithm is to maximize the expected total user satisfaction (total-utility) under different constraints. We compared our proposed algorithm with proportional fair (PF), exponential proportional fair (EXP-PF), and U-delay. Using simulations, our proposed algorithm improved the performance of real-time traffic based on throughput, VoIP delay, and VoIP packet loss ratio metrics while PF improved the performance of best-effort traffic based on FTP traffic received, FTP packet loss ratio, and FTP throughput metrics

End-to-End Simulation of 5G mmWave Networks

Due to its potential for multi-gigabit and low latency wireless links, millimeter wave (mmWave) technology is expected to play a central role in 5th generation cellular systems. While there has been considerable progress in understanding the mmWave physical layer, innovations will be required at all layers of the protocol stack, in both the access and the core network. Discrete-event network simulation is essential for end-to-end, cross-layer research and development. This paper provides a tutorial on a recently developed full-stack mmWave module integrated into the widely used open-source ns--3 simulator. The module includes a number of detailed statistical channel models as well as the ability to incorporate real measurements or ray-tracing data. The Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers are modular and highly customizable, making it easy to integrate algorithms or compare Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) numerologies, for example. The module is interfaced with the core network of the ns--3 Long Term Evolution (LTE) module for full-stack simulations of end-to-end connectivity, and advanced architectural features, such as dual-connectivity, are also available. To facilitate the understanding of the module, and verify its correct functioning, we provide several examples that show the performance of the custom mmWave stack as well as custom congestion control algorithms designed specifically for efficient utilization of the mmWave channel.Comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, submitted to IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials (revised Jan. 2018

Future Mobile Communications: LTE Optimization and Mobile Network Virtualization

Providing QoS while optimizing the LTE network in a cost efficient manner is very challenging. Thus, radio scheduling is one of the most important functions in mobile broadband networks. The design of a mobile network radio scheduler holds several objectives that need to be satisfied, for example: the scheduler needs to maximize the radio performance by efficiently distributing the limited radio resources, since the operator's revenue depends on it. In addition, the scheduler has to guarantee the user's demands in terms of their Quality of Service (QoS). Thus, the design of an effective scheduler is rather a complex task. In this thesis, the author proposes the design of a radio scheduler that is optimized towards QoS guarantees and system performance optimization. The proposed scheduler is called Optimized Service Aware Scheduler (OSA). The OSA scheduler is tested and analyzed in several scenarios, and is compared against other well-known schedulers. A novel wireless network virtualization framework is also proposed in this thesis. The framework targets the concepts of wireless virtualization applied within the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. LTE represents one of the new mobile communication systems that is just entering the market. Therefore, LTE was chosen as a case study to demonstrate the proposed wireless virtualization framework. The framework is implemented in the LTE network simulator and analyzed, highlighting the many advantages and potential gain that the virtualization process can achieve. Two potential gain scenarios that can result from using network virtualization in LTE systems are analyzed: Multiplexing gain coming from spectrum sharing, and multi-user diversity gain. Several LTE radio analytical models, based on Continuous Time Markov Chains (CTMC) are designed and developed in this thesis. These models target the modeling of three different time domain radio schedulers: Maximum Throughput (MaxT), Blind Equal Throughput (BET), and Optimized Service Aware Scheduler (OSA). The models are used to obtain faster results (i.e., in a very short time period in the order of seconds to minutes), compared to the simulation results that can take considerably longer periods, such as hours or sometimes even days. The model results are also compared against the simulation results, and it is shown that it provides a good match. Thus, it can be used for fast radio dimensioning purposes. Overall, the concepts, investigations, and the analytical models presented in this thesis can help mobile network operators to optimize their radio network and provide the necessary means to support services QoS differentiations and guarantees. In addition, the network virtualization concepts provides an excellent tool that can enable the operators to share their resources and reduce their cost, as well as provides good chances for smaller operators to enter the market

Integration of Carrier Aggregation and Dual Connectivity for the ns-3 mmWave Module

Thanks to the wide availability of bandwidth, the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies will provide very high data rates to mobile users in next generation 5G cellular networks. However, mmWave links suffer from high isotropic pathloss and blockage from common materials, and are subject to an intermittent channel quality. Therefore, protocols and solutions at different layers in the cellular network and the TCP/IP protocol stack have been proposed and studied. A valuable tool for the end-to-end performance analysis of mmWave cellular networks is the ns-3 mmWave module, which already models in detail the channel, Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and extends the Long Term Evolution (LTE) stack for the higher layers. In this paper we present an implementation for the ns-3 mmWave module of multi connectivity techniques for 3GPP New Radio (NR) at mmWave frequencies, namely Carrier Aggregation (CA) and Dual Connectivity (DC), and discuss how they can be integrated to increase the functionalities offered by the ns-3 mmWave module.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to the Workshop on ns-3 (WNS3) 201

Study and Performance Analysis of LTE MAC Schedulers for M2M

Cellular systems are forecasted to play a fundamental role in the future Machine-to-Machine scenario. The 3GPP LTE networks appear to be the de facto standard for machine type communications. Beside opportunities given by M2M devices spreading, such as vehicular-to-vehicular communications and environmental monitoring, the operators will have to deal with a greater number of devices connected, which don t fulfil with the nowadays human centred traffic standard characteristics and will force to re-standardize the current uplink scheduling procedures. In this report an extensive study of the literature papers, both standards and M2M centred, is carried on a dense machine scenario. Problems such as Human-to-Human throughput drops are high lined with the raise of the number of M2M devices present. Moreover the channel utilization, both in uplink and in downlink, drops drastically among the studied scheduler schemes. A new M2M Aware Scheduler, with the goal of maximise the medium utilization, is designed and implemented. Its results over the simulations shows that M2M and Human-to-Human devices could live over the same LTE Network but new schedulers, such as the one here presented, have to be further studied and analysed. This thesis work was carried on during an exchange period at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim with the collaboration and supervision of Telenor Norge AS

Simulating LTE/LTE-Advanced Networks with SimuLTE

In this work we present SimuLTE, an OMNeT++-based simulator for LTE and LTE-Advanced networks. Following well-established OMNeT++ programming practices, SimuLTE exhibits a fully modular structure, which makes it easy to be extended, verified, and integrated. Moreover, it inherits all the benefits of such a widely used and versatile simulation framework as OMNeT++, i.e., experiment support and seamless integration with the OMNeT++ network modules, such as INET. This allows SimuLTE users to build up mixed scenarios where LTE is only a part of a wider network. This paper describes the architecture of SimuLTE, with particular emphasis on the modeling choices at the MAC layer, where resource scheduling is located. Furthermore, we describe some of the verification and validation efforts and present an example of the performance analysis that can be carried out with SimuLTE