921 research outputs found
Dynamic Radio Cooperation for Downlink Cloud-RANs with Computing Resource Sharing
A novel dynamic radio-cooperation strategy is proposed for Cloud Radio Access
Networks (C-RANs) consisting of multiple Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) connected to
a central Virtual Base Station (VBS) pool. In particular, the key capabilities
of C-RANs in computing-resource sharing and real-time communication among the
VBSs are leveraged to design a joint dynamic radio clustering and cooperative
beamforming scheme that maximizes the downlink weighted sum-rate system utility
(WSRSU). Due to the combinatorial nature of the radio clustering process and
the non-convexity of the cooperative beamforming design, the underlying
optimization problem is NP-hard, and is extremely difficult to solve for a
large network. Our approach aims for a suboptimal solution by transforming the
original problem into a Mixed-Integer Second-Order Cone Program (MI-SOCP),
which can be solved efficiently using a proposed iterative algorithm. Numerical
simulation results show that our low-complexity algorithm provides
close-to-optimal performance in terms of WSRSU while significantly
outperforming conventional radio clustering and beamforming schemes.
Additionally, the results also demonstrate the significant improvement in
computing-resource utilization of C-RANs over traditional RANs with distributed
computing resources.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted to IEEE MASS 201
Hybrid Scheduling/Signal-Level Coordination in the Downlink of Multi-Cloud Radio-Access Networks
In the context of resource allocation in cloud-radio access networks, recent
studies assume either signal-level or scheduling-level coordination. This
paper, instead, considers a hybrid level of coordination for the scheduling
problem in the downlink of a multi-cloud radio-access network, as a means to
benefit from both scheduling policies. Consider a multi-cloud radio access
network, where each cloud is connected to several base-stations (BSs) via high
capacity links, and therefore allows joint signal processing between them.
Across the multiple clouds, however, only scheduling-level coordination is
permitted, as it requires a lower level of backhaul communication. The frame
structure of every BS is composed of various time/frequency blocks, called
power-zones (PZs), and kept at fixed power level. The paper addresses the
problem of maximizing a network-wide utility by associating users to clouds and
scheduling them to the PZs, under the practical constraints that each user is
scheduled, at most, to a single cloud, but possibly to many BSs within the
cloud, and can be served by one or more distinct PZs within the BSs' frame. The
paper solves the problem using graph theory techniques by constructing the
conflict graph. The scheduling problem is, then, shown to be equivalent to a
maximum-weight independent set problem in the constructed graph, in which each
vertex symbolizes an association of cloud, user, BS and PZ, with a weight
representing the utility of that association. Simulation results suggest that
the proposed hybrid scheduling strategy provides appreciable gain as compared
to the scheduling-level coordinated networks, with a negligible degradation to
signal-level coordination
Fronthaul-Constrained Cloud Radio Access Networks: Insights and Challenges
As a promising paradigm for fifth generation (5G) wireless communication
systems, cloud radio access networks (C-RANs) have been shown to reduce both
capital and operating expenditures, as well as to provide high spectral
efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE). The fronthaul in such networks,
defined as the transmission link between a baseband unit (BBU) and a remote
radio head (RRH), requires high capacity, but is often constrained. This
article comprehensively surveys recent advances in fronthaul-constrained
C-RANs, including system architectures and key techniques. In particular, key
techniques for alleviating the impact of constrained fronthaul on SE/EE and
quality of service for users, including compression and quantization,
large-scale coordinated processing and clustering, and resource allocation
optimization, are discussed. Open issues in terms of software-defined
networking, network function virtualization, and partial centralization are
also identified.Comment: 5 Figures, accepted by IEEE Wireless Communications. arXiv admin
note: text overlap with arXiv:1407.3855 by other author
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