Throughput Optimal Flow Allocation on Multiple Paths for Random Access Wireless Multi-hop Networks

TL;DR

This paper presents a distributed, optimization-based flow rate allocation scheme for multi-hop wireless networks with multi-packet reception, aiming to maximize aggregate throughput while providing bounded delay guarantees.

Contribution

It introduces a novel distributed flow allocation method formulated as an optimization problem, considering interference effects and demonstrating improved throughput over single-path strategies.

Findings

Scheme slightly underestimates actual throughput in simulations.

Achieves higher throughput than single-path utilization.

Effective in grid topology with multiple flows.

Abstract

In this paper we consider random access wireless multi-hop mesh networks with multi-packet reception capabilities where multiple flows are forwarded to the gateways through node disjoint paths. We address the issue of aggregate throughput-optimal flow rate allocation with bounded delay guarantees. We propose a distributed flow rate allocation scheme that formulates flow rate allocation as an optimization problem and derive the conditions for non-convexity for an illustrative topology. We also employ a simple model for the average aggregate throughput achieved by all flows that captures both intra- and inter-path interference. The proposed scheme is evaluated through NS-2 simulations. Our preliminary results are derived from a grid topology and show that the proposed flow allocation scheme slightly underestimates the average aggregate throughput observed in two simulated scenarios with two and three flows respectively. Moreover it achieves significantly higher average aggregate throughput than single path utilization in two different traffic scenarios examined.