ABSTRACT
In IEEE 802.16-based broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (MANs), the packet scheduler that sits at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer plays a key role in both maximizing system throughput and achieving a satisfactory QoS. Developing eff ective multi-service packet schedulers is challenging because both criteria have to be satisfi ed. Here, we introduce a downlink packet scheduling scheme that combines conventional multi-user diversity with an urgency function whose value increases rapidly as the time remaining to meet the quality of service (QoS) requirement associated with a particular service becomes shorter. Simulation
results obtained using combinations of data fl ows subscribing to IEEE 802.16’s UGS, rtPS, nrtPS, and BE services confi rm that our multi-service opportunistic QoS-enhanced scheduler (M-OQES) algorithm outperforms existing multi-service scheduling schemes. Moreover, the computational complexity of the M-OQES algorithm compares favorably with that of the widely adopted proportional fair rule.
