A genetic approach for downlink packet scheduling in HSDPA system

High speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) system currently under development in 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) [1] employs number of parallel shared channels and adaptive modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to enable a high rate packet data transfer from base station (Node-B) to user equipment (UE). To decide how to share the available radio channel capacity amongst the active UEs, a packet scheduling and channel assignment algorithms are employed at Node B. Packet scheduling techniques such as max carrier to interference ratio (C/I) or round robin (RR) fails to take into account all the aspects of the quality of service (QoS) provisioning. In this paper, the fundamentals genetic algorithms and conventional wireless scheduling techniques are combined and the weaknesses of the existing known techniques are exploited to propose a novel hybrid genetic packet scheduler (HGPS) for the HSDPA system. A combination of random and intelligent diversity of population and comparative nature of the selection process of genetic engine contribute to its robustness. The proposed HGPS outperforms Max C/I packet scheduler in terms of total delivered throughput within low delay thresholds. Unlike conventional packet scheduling technique HGPS does not rely only on the current or past status of the scheduling process. By treating the possible solutions as points in a search space, the proposed HGPS through a genetically guided search visits and examines the possible solutions and estimates the impact of each these solution on overall performance of system in terms of fairness, throughput or QoS without actually performing a transmission. Subsequently, the solution that achieves the best estimated overall performance is chosen for the actual transmission. By means of computer simulation, performance of the HGPS algorithm is characterized in Rayleigh fading and shadowing radio channel conditions. The impact of imperfect reporting on the performance of HSDPA system is evaluated. We examine the joint impact of reporting latency, imperfect channel estimation and the corruption of reports in the feedback channel on the performance. It is shown that the proposed class of intelligent parallel random schedulers is highly robust against the imperfect reports from UEs. Acknowledgment The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable assistance provided by Mr Pierre Coulon of Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe Ltd.This work was presented in part at IEEE WPMC’2002, and will be presented in part at IEEE IST’2003.     

一种低延时的无线传感器网络MAC协议

针对典型无线传感器网络X-MAC协议在多跳环境下累积延迟问题,提出一种具有低时延的Ex-MAC协议。利用管理邻居节点工作周期和虚通道算法,使得虚通道中的所有节点近似于同步,从而减少数据传输延迟,而且不需要交换同步控制帧。仿真结果与X-MAC协议相比,减少了端到端的延迟和数据包冲突的几率,提高了网络的吞吐量。     

Cross-layer packet scheduling for downlink multiuser OFDM systems

This paper proposes a channel and queue aware fair (CQAF) packet scheduling scheme for the downlink packet transmission in multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By making use of the information on the channel conditions and the queue lengths, the proposed CQAF packet scheduling scheme efficiently allocates the subcarriers, transmission power and modulation level to users under the constraints of total transmission power, the number of subcarriers, bit-error-rate (BER) requirement and generalized processor sharing (GPS)-based fairness requirement. The numerical results show that the proposed CQAF packet scheduling scheme can reduce the transmission delay and queue length significantly while maximizing system throughput and maintaining fairness among users.     

A QoS Estimation-Based Scheduler for Real-Time Traffic in IEEE 802.11e Mobile Ad hoc Networks

ABSTRACT

For mobile ad hoc networks, the IEEE 802.11e standard specification provides Quality of Service (QoS) facility support in the MAC layer by Enhanced Distribution Channel Access (EDCA), which provides differentiated and distributed access to the wireless medium with four access categories (AC). It works efficiently for constant bit rate (CBR) types of traffic; however, for the case of variable bit rate (VBR) types of traffic, it shows poor performance due to the static nature of computing the number of packets and the time required to transmit these packets. In this paper, we present an EDCA scheduling algorithm that allocates transmission opportunities (TXOP) for fluctuating VBR traffic depending on their queue length estimations for mobile ad hoc networks. We classify the channel state as good or bad based on the channel error conditions. Then the scheduler determines the mean application data rate and estimates the TXOP for the next interval on the same Traffic Stream (TS). By simulation results, we show that the proposed scheduling scheme achieves good throughput and fairness with reduced delay for the VBR traffic class.     

一种简单的平滑公平轮转调度算法

根据通用处理器共享的公平排队思想,针对数据包或信元交换,提出了一种将数据流的预订速率作为时隙分配的权值来构建动态调度树的公平轮转调度算法。其主要思路是:当有新数据流到达时,将各数据流按其权值均匀分布到完全二叉树的叶子节点上,在每个时隙开始时轮转调度算法负责从叶子节点中依次取出数据流号,发送该数据流的信元,调度复杂度为O(1)。与其他经典的公平调度算法引比,所提出的公平轮转调度算法实现简单。理论分析和仿真结果都表明,这种简单的平滑公平轮转调度算法(SSFRR)具有良好的公平性,对源端为漏桶控制的数据流能够提供端到端的有界时延,且能够提供基于数据流的QoS保证。     

A novel multicast mechanism for optical local area networks

In this paper, we propose a simple and efficient multicast scheduling algorithm, the Lookback Queue Access (LBQA) protocol for the employment in an asynchronous WDM optical star network. Network nodes use ALOHA based random access schemes to send their reservation packets over a common packet reservation control channel. A central traffic scheduler is allocated to coordinate message transmissions. The central scheduler carries out the LBQA scheme in real time in two phases. The first phase is to search (through input queues) for a candidate multicast message that can be sent, without partition, to all of its intended recipients. If phase 1 fails, the second phase is then activated to efficiently partition a multicast message into multiple transmissions. Performance results conducted via simulations have revealed that networks employing such a scheduling mechanism can exhibit superior network throughput levels and delay performances. To obtain sustainable high performances, we further propose an interconnected dual-star structure employed with the enhanced scheduling mechanism, the DS_LBQA algorithm. By using a simple heuristic approach, the DS_LBQA scheme is able to successfully exploit the inter data channels and properly utilize the wavelength reuse property of the intra data channels. Performance results have demonstrated the merits of deploying the DS_LBQA multicast algorithm in such a dual-star structure.     

On the use of virtual channels in networks of workstations withirregular topology

Networks of workstations are becoming increasingly popular as a cost-effective alternative to parallel computers. Typically, these networks connect workstations using irregular topologies, providing the wiring flexibility, scalability, and incremental expansion capability required in this environment. Recently, we proposed two methodologies for the design of adaptive routing algorithms for networks with irregular topology, as well as fully adaptive routing algorithms for these networks. These algorithms increase throughput considerably with respect to previously existing ones, but require the use of at least two virtual channels. In this paper, we propose a very efficient flow control protocol to support virtual channels when link wires are very long and/or have different lengths. This flow control protocol relies on the use of channel pipelining and control flits. Control traffic is minimized by assigning physical bandwidth to virtual channels until the corresponding message blocks or it is completely transmitted. Simulation results show that this flow control protocol performs as efficiently as an ideal network with short wires and flit-by-flit multiplexing. The effect of additional virtual channels per physical channel has also been studied, revealing that the optimal number of virtual channels varies with network size. The use of virtual channel priorities is also analyzed. The proposed flow control protocol may increase short message latency, due to long messages monopolizing channels and hindering the progress of short messages. Therefore, we have analyzed the impact of limiting the number of flits (block size) that a virtual channel may forward once it gets the link. Simulation results show that limiting the maximum block size causes the overall network performance to decrease     

A proportional fairness scheduling for wireless sensor networks

This paper describes a packet scheduling algorithm for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that meets the proportional fairness principle. Based on the weighted round-robin strategy, the proposed scheduling algorithm allocates a different service quota to different traffic according to the average packet arrival rate. This guarantees proportional fairness in terms of the average packet delivery delay and the average packet loss ratio. Since the scheduling algorithm does not perform high-load operations such as time stamping and sorting, it can be implemented easily and is suitable for resource-limited WSNs. The proposed scheduling algorithm is tested in a WSN and is found to guarantee the proportional fairness of the average packet delivery delay when this is used as the performance metric, and to realize proportional fairness in the average packet loss ratio when all the queues are overflowing and the average packet loss ratio is used as the performance metric.     

Designing and implementing a fast crossbar scheduler

Crossbar switches frequently function as the internal switching fabric of high performance network switches and routers. However, for fairness and high utilization, a crossbar needs an intelligent, centralized scheduler. We describe the design and implementation of a scheduling algorithm for configuring crossbars in input queued switches that support virtual output queues and multiple priority levels of unicast and multicast traffic. We carried out this design for Stanford University's Tiny Tera prototype, a fast, label-swapping packet switch. Its scheduler, designed to configure a crossbar once every 51 ns, implements the ESLIP scheduling algorithm, which consists of multiple round-robin arbiters     

Eligibility-based Round Robin for fair and efficient packet scheduling in wormhole switching networks

Interconnection networks of parallel systems are used for servicing traffic generated by different applications, often belonging to different users. When multiple users contend for channel bandwidth, fairness in bandwidth sharing becomes a key requirement. In fact, enforcing a fair sharing of channel bandwidth improves flow isolation, thus preventing misbehaving flows from affecting the performance of other flows. We present a novel packet scheduling algorithm, called eligibility-based round robin (EBRR), devised to provide fair queueing in interconnection networks. In fact, EBRR meets the constraints imposed by wormhole switching, which is the most popular switching technique in interconnection networks of parallel systems. It can also be applied to packet switching wide area networks (WANs), such as IP and ATM. We show that EBRR has O(1) complexity and better delay and fairness properties than existing algorithms of comparable complexity. Here, we also investigate the means for assessing the fairness of a scheduler: we show that using the relative fairness bound as a fairness measure may lead to erroneous results. We then propose an alternative measure, called the generalized relative fairness bound, that allows fairness to be assessed more precisely.     

DLSOMAC:一个面向分布式无线链路调度技术的MAC协议

无线网络分布式链路调度技术通过发掘无线传输间的复用达到提高吞吐量的目的. 链路调度策略的形成需要节点间公平地交互含有如节点ID、队列长度等信息的短报文,并且这些短报文同步传输,导致信道拥挤.由于存在信道空闲侦听开销,在拥挤信道中频繁后退,以及隐藏终端和暴露终端的问题,传统的CSMA/CA (Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance)协议传输性能低下,难以为分布式无线链路调度技术服务. 针对链路调度策略形成期间报文短、信道拥挤以及公平性要求的挑战.提出了一个简单的随机MAC (Media access control)协议DLSOMAC (Distributed link scheduling oriented MAC). DLSOMAC协议没有信道侦听过程,以降低短报文的传输延迟开销;基于分布式息票收集算法,均匀分散传输时刻来降低冲撞概率和提高公平性,以满足分布式链路调度技术对MAC层的需求.用排队论分析了DLSOMAC的报文传输延迟性能.仿真实验表明, 在短报文情况下,无论网络负载轻重与否, DLSOMAC协议的报文传输延迟明显优于CSMA/CA,并且报文越短,性能相对越好.即使在长报文的情况下,当网络负载很重时, DLOSMAC协议也稍优于CSMA/CA协议,适合于为自组织网络的分布式链路调度技术服务.     

分组交换网络中分布式调度控制算法研究

文章首先对目前分组交换网络中支持QoS的队列调度算法进行了比较研究,分析了其性能指标和技术特点。然后以Internet核心路由器中线卡级和交换级的队列调度设计为例,从控制论的角度提出了一种支持QoS的分布式加权轮询调度控制算法,同时对交换网络进行了仿真实验,吞吐率达到96％的仿真实验结果表明所提出的算法是有效的,最后,文章认为在实际应用中,应针对不同情况设计不同的调度控制算法,以便在复杂性、公平性、快速性及有效性等特性方面取得了一个折衷方案,以使分组交换网络的整体性能更好。     

一种维序的基于组合输入输出排队的并行交换结构

提出一种按序排队(in-order queuing,简称IOQ)PPS体系结构,通过在分流控制器引入固定尺寸的缓冲区,实现负载在每个交换平面的均匀分配;中间层组合输入输出排队(combined input-and-output queuing,简称CIOQ)交换平面受控于中央调度器,在每个时间槽(timeslot),中央调度器将同一种匹配实施到每一个交换平面,称之为同步调度策略.可以证明,在该体系结构下,轮询(round robin)分派算法配合同步调度策略可以保证同一条流的信元按序从交换平面读出.进一步提出了严格最长队列优先同步调度算法,极大地减少了中央调度器需要维护的状态信息和信元重定序开销.与目前主流的PPS设计相比,IOQPPS(in-order queuing parallel packet switch)实现机制简单,易于硬件实现.模拟结果表明,IOQPPS具有最优的延迟性能.     

Structuring communication software for quality-of-serviceguarantees

We propose architectural mechanisms for structuring host communication software to provide QoS guarantees. We present and evaluate a QoS sensitive communication subsystem architecture for end hosts that provides real time communication support for generic network hardware. This architecture provides services for managing communication resources for guaranteed QoS (real time) connections, such as admission control, traffic enforcement, buffer management, and CPU and link scheduling. The architecture design is based on three key goals: maintenance of QoS guarantees on a per connection basis, overload protection between established connections, and fairness in delivered performance to best effort traffic. Using this architecture we implement real time channels, a paradigm for real time communication services in packet switched networks. The proposed architecture features a process per channel model that associates a channel handler with each established channel. The model employed for handler execution is one of “cooperative” preemption, where an executing handler yields the CPU to a waiting higher priority handler at well defined preemption points. The architecture provides several configurable policies for protocol processing and overload protection. We present extensions to the admission control procedure for real time channels to account for cooperative preemption and overlap between protocol processing and link transmission at a sending host. We evaluate the implementation to demonstrate the efficacy with which the architecture maintains QoS guarantees on outgoing traffic while adhering to the stated design goals     

Sub-packet forward error correction mechanism for video streaming over wireless networks

Traditional Forward Error Correction (FEC) mechanisms can be divided into Packet level FEC (PFEC) mechanisms and Byte level FEC (BFEC) mechanisms. The PFEC mechanism of recovering from errors in a source packet requires an entire FEC redundant packet even though the error involves a few bit errors. The recovery capability of the BFEC mechanism is only half of the FEC redundancy. Accordingly, an adaptive Sub-Packet FEC (SPFEC) mechanism is proposed in this paper to improve the quality of video streaming data over wireless networks, simultaneously enhancing the recovery performance and reducing the end-to-end delay jitter. The SPFEC mechanism divides a packet into n sub-packets by means of the concept of a virtual packet. The SPFEC mechanism uses a checksum in each sub-packet to identify the position of the error sub-packet. Simulation experiments show the adaptive SPFEC mechanism achieves high recovery performance and low end-to-end delay jitter. The SPFEC mechanism outperforms traditional FEC mechanism in terms of packet loss rate and video Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). SPFEC offers an alternative for improved efficiency video streaming that will be of interest to the designers of the next generation environments.     

RRR: recursive round robin scheduler

Scheduling has been an interesting problem since its inception. In the context of real-time networks, a scheduling algorithm is concerned with dispatching streams of packets sharing the same bandwidth such that certain guaranteed performance for each stream like rate and delay bound is provided. This function has a wide range of applications in network elements such as host adaptors, routers and switches. This paper proposes and describes a new scheduling algorithm named as recursive round robin (RRR) scheduler. It is based on the concept of the construction of a scheduling tree in which distinct cell streams are scheduled recursively. Special emphasis is placed on the design and analysis of the scheduler. A delay bound is analytically derived for the scheduler and verified using simulation. The scheduler can work in either a work-conserving mode or non-work-conserving mode. It is shown that the work conserving scheduler is fair. Fairness indexes for the work conserving scheduler are analytically derived. The simple nature of this algorithm makes it possible to implement it at very high speeds, while considerably reducing the implementation cost.     

基于HSDPA的增强型分组调度算法研究

从系统吞吐量、用户公平性等方面分析研究了HSDPA系统中支持非实时业务的三种经典分组调度算法RR、Max C/I和PF。针对PF算法重传时延过长问题,提出了一种结合混合自动请求重传HARQ的增强分组调度算法。该算法通过提高重传分组的优先级降低重传时延,有效地避免系统资源的浪费。MATLAB仿真结果表明,该算法在降低单用户重传时延的同时,仍能保证用户间的公平性和系统的吞吐量。     

一种新型的网络包公平调度算法的研究*

针对现有分组轮转法的局限,提出一种新的分组策略——虚拟权重队列分组策略。在这个新的分组策略的基础上,结合DRR和WF2Q,提出了虚拟权重队列分组轮转法。仿真实验表明,虚拟权重队列分组轮转调度算法比现有的分组轮转法拥有更好的延时性能和公平性能。     

图书馆多媒体业务流的短时公平分组反馈调度方法

研究了一种新的基于短时公平的分组调度算法的问题. 基于短时公平性的分组反馈调度算法改进了WF2Q＋算法在短期内无法为新加入客户端提供公平服务的缺陷,增强了调度算法的适应性和公平性. 在本算法中,调度器中的各个客户端权值能够根据其获得的实际服务量状况在线调整,增强了系统的鲁棒性和自适应性,同时提高了系统实现短期公平性的能力,对各个客户端提供更为公平的服务质量（Quality of Service,QoS）.     

A performance study of uplink scheduling algorithms in point-to-multipoint WiMAX networks

The IEEE 802.16 standard defines the specifications for medium access control (MAC) and physical (PHY) layers of WiMAX networks. A critical part of the MAC layer specification is packet scheduling, which resolves contention for bandwidth and determines the transmission order of users. Evaluating the performance packet scheduling algorithms is of utmost importance towards realizing large-scale WiMAX deployment. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive performance study of scheduling algorithms in point-to-multipoint mode of OFDM-based WiMAX networks. We first make a classification of WiMAX scheduling algorithms, then simulate a representative number of algorithms in each class taking into account that vital characteristics of the IEEE 802.16 MAC layer and OFDM physical layer. We evaluate the algorithms with respect to their abilities to support multiple classes of service, providing quality of service (QoS) guarantees, fairness amongst service classes and bandwidth utilization. To the best of our knowledge, no such comprehensive performance study has been reported in the literature. Simulation results indicate that none of the current algorithms is capable of effectively supporting all WiMAX classes of service. We demonstrate that an efficient, fair and robust scheduler for WiMAX is still an open research area. We conclude our study by making recommendations that can be used by WiMax protocol designers.