5694991
Robust Packet Scheduling in Wireless Cellular Networks
This paper addresses the following robust scheduling problem: Given that only coarse-grained channel state information (i.e., bounds on channel errors, but not the fine-grained error pattern) is available, how to design a robust scheduler that ensures worst-case optimal performance? To solve this problem, we consider two coarse-grained channel error models and take a zero-sum game theoretic approach, in which the scheduler and the channel error act as non-cooperative adversaries in the scheduling process. Our results show that in the heavy channel error case, the optimal scheduler adopts a threshold form. It does not schedule a flow if the price (the flow is willing to pay) is too small, in order to maximize the system revenue. Among the scheduled flows, the scheduler schedules a flow with a probability inversely proportional to the flow price such that the risk of being caught by the channel error adversary is minimized. We also show that in the mild channel error model, the robust scheduling policy exhibits a balanced trade-off between a greedy decision and a conservative policy. The scheduler is likely to take a greedy decision if it evaluates the risk of encountering the channel error adversary now to be small. Therefore, robust scheduling does not always imply conservative decision. The scheduler is willing to take “risks” to expect higher gain in some scenarios. Our solution also shows that probabilistic scheduling may lead to higher worst-case performance compared to traditional deterministic policies. Finally, the current efforts show the feasibility to explore a probabilistic approach to cope with dynamic channel error conditions.
11410811
Fair scheduling in wireless packet networks
Fair scheduling of delay and rate-sensitive packet flows over a wireless channel is not addressed effectively by most contemporary wireline fair-scheduling algorithms because of two unique characteristics of wireless media: (1) bursty channel errors and (2) location-dependent channel capacity and errors. Besides, in packet cellular networks, the base station typically performs the task of packet scheduling for both downlink and uplink flows in a cell; however, a base station has only a limited knowledge of the arrival processes of uplink flows. We propose a new model for wireless fair-scheduling based on an adaptation of fluid fair queueing (FFQ) to handle location-dependent error bursts. We describe an ideal wireless fair-scheduling algorithm which provides a packetized implementation of the fluid mode, while assuming full knowledge of the current channel conditions. For this algorithm, we derive the worst-case throughput and delay bounds. Finally, we describe a practical wireless scheduling algorithm which approximates the ideal algorithm. Through simulations, we show that the algorithm achieves the desirable properties identified in the wireless FFQ model.
23906830
PEAS: a robust energy conserving protocol for long-lived sensor networks
Small, inexpensive sensors with limited memory, computing power and short battery lifetimes are turning into reality. Due to adverse conditions such as high noise levels, extreme humidity or temperatures, or even destructions from unfriendly entities, sensor node failures may become norms rather than exceptions in real environments. To be practical, sensor networks must last for much longer times than that of individual nodes, and have yet to be robust against potentially frequent node failures. This paper presents the design of PEAS, a simple protocol that can build a long-lived sensor network and maintain robust operations using large quantities of economical, short-lived sensor nodes. PEAS extends system functioning time by keeping only a necessary set of sensors working and putting the rest into sleep mode. Sleeping ones wake up now and then, probing the local environment and replacing failed ones. The sleeping periods are self-adjusted dynamically, so as to keep the sensors' wakeup rate roughly constant, thus adapting to high node densities.
8338982
Self-coordinating localized fair queueing in wireless ad hoc networks
Distributed fair queueing in a multihop, wireless ad hoc network is challenging for several reasons. First, the wireless channel is shared among multiple contending nodes in a spatial locality. Location-dependent channel contention complicates the fairness notion. Second, the sender of a flow does not have explicit information regarding the contending flows originated from other nodes. Fair queueing over ad hoc networks is a distributed scheduling problem by nature. Finally, the wireless channel capacity is a scarce resource. Spatial channel reuse, i.e., simultaneous transmissions of flows that do not interfere with each other, should be encouraged whenever possible. In this paper, we reexamine the fairness notion in an ad hoc network using a graph-theoretic formulation and extract the fairness requirements that an ad hoc fair queueing algorithm should possess. To meet these requirements, we propose maximize-local-minimum fair queueing (MLM-FQ), a novel distributed packet scheduling algorithm where local schedulers self-coordinate their scheduling decisions and collectively achieve fair bandwidth sharing. We then propose enhanced MLM-FQ (EMLM-FQ) to further improve the spatial channel reuse and limit the impact of inaccurate scheduling information resulted from collisions. EMLM-FQ achieves statistical short-term throughput and delay bounds over the shared wireless channel. Analysis and extensive simulations confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of our self-coordinating localized design in providing global fair channel access in wireless ad hoc networks.
1919911
Robust rate adaptation for 802.11 wireless networks
Rate adaptation is a mechanism unspecified by the 802.11 standards, yet critical to the system performance by exploiting the multi-rate capability at the physical layer.I n this paper, we conduct a systematic and experimental study on rate adaptation over 802.11 wireless networks. Our main contributions are two-fold. First, we critique five design guidelines adopted by most existing algorithms. Our study reveals that these seemingly correct guidelines can be misleading in practice, thus incur significant performance penalty in certain scenarios. The fundamental challenge is that rate adaptation must accurately estimate the channel condition despite the presence of various dynamics caused by fading, mobility and hidden terminals. Second, we design and implement a new Robust Rate Adaptation Algorithm (RRAA)that addresses the above challenge. RRAA uses short-term loss ratio to opportunistically guide its rate change decisions, and an adaptive RTS filter to prevent collision losses from triggering rate decrease. Our extensive experiments have shown that RRAA outperforms three well-known rate adaptation solutions (ARF, AARF, and SampleRate) in all tested scenarios, with throughput improvement up to 143%.
1236934
A Packet Scheduling Approach to QoS Support in Multihop Wireless Networks
Providing packet-level quality of service (QoS) is critical to support both rate-sensitive and delay-sensitive applications in bandwidth-constrained, shared-channel, multihop wireless networks. Packet scheduling has been a very popular paradigm to ensure minimum throughput and bounded delay access for packet flows. This work describes a packet scheduling approach to QoS provisioning in multihop wireless networks. Besides minimum throughput and delay bounds for each flow, our scheduling disciplines seek to achieve fair and maximum allocation of the shared wireless channel bandwidth. However, these two criteria can potentially be in conflict in a generic-topology multihop wireless network where a single logical channel is shared among multiple contending flows and spatial reuse of the channel bandwidth is possible. In this paper, we propose a new scheduling model that addresses this conflict. The main results of this paper are the following: (a) a two-tier service model that provides a minimum “fair” allocation of the channel bandwidth for each packet flow and additionally maximizes spatial reuse of bandwidth, (b) an ideal centralized packet scheduling algorithm that realizes the above service model, and (c) a practical distributed backoff-based channel contention mechanism that approximates the ideal service within the framework of the CSMA/CA protocol.
6309018
Knowledge-based learning integrating acquisition and learning
Empirical learning algorithms are hampered by their inability to use domain knowledge to guide the induction of new rules. This paper describes knowledge-based learning, an approach to learning that selects the examples and relevant attributes for an empirical algorithm. Knowledge-based learning can be used for developing rules for engineering expert systems. Engineers often have some rules for problem solving, but also many experiences (examples) that facilitate solving problems. Knowledge-based learning systems are able to use both forms of knowledge.
12297349
Creating and using models for engineering design: a machine-learning approach
An adaptive and interactive modeling system (AIMS) that integrates simulation, optimization and machine learning to help engineers make design decisions is described. AIMS views engineering decision making as a two-phase process of creating and then using models. The competitive relation learner and the induce-and-select optimizer, AIMS's two main components, and their roles in both phases of decision-making are discussed. AIMS's role in supporting the design of a diesel engine that outputs power within the 440- to 460-kW range and consumes the least amount of fuel is also discussed.<<ETX>>
8443328
Correct execution of transactions at different isolation levels
Many transaction processing applications execute at isolation levels lower than SERIALIZABLE in order to increase throughput and reduce response time. However, the resulting schedules might not be serializable and, hence, not necessarily correct. The semantics of a particular application determines whether that application will run correctly at a lower level and, in practice, it appears that many applications do. The decision to choose an isolation level at which to run an application and the analysis of the correctness of the resulting execution is usually done informally. We develop a formal technique to analyze and reason about the correctness of the execution of an application at isolation levels other than SERIALIZABLE. We use a new notion of correctness, semantic correctness, a criterion weaker than serializability, to investigate correctness. In particular, for each isolation level, we prove a condition under which the execution of transactions at that level will be semantically correct. In addition to the ANSI/ISO isolation levels of READ UNCOMMITTED, READ COMMITTED, and REPEATABLE READ, we also prove a condition for correct execution at the READ-COMMITTED with first-committer-wins and at SNAPSHOT isolation. We assume that different transactions in the same application can be executing at different levels, but that each transaction is executing at least at READ UNCOMMITTED.
14619760
A New Inlining Algorithm for Mapping XML DTDs to Relational Schemas
XML is rapidly emerging on the World Wide Web as a standard for representing and exchanging data. It is critical to have efficient mechanisms to store and query XML documents to exploit the full power of this new technology. While one approach is to develop native XML repositories that support XML data models and query languages directly, the other approach is to take advantage of the mature technologies that are provided by current relational or object-relational DBMSs. There is active research along both approaches and it is still not clear which one is better than the other. We continue our effort on the second approach. In particular, we have developed an efficient algorithm which takes an XML DTD as input and produces a relational schema as output for storing and querying XML documents conforming to the input DTD. Our algorithm features several significant improvements over the shared-inlining algorithm including overcoming its incompleteness, eliminating redundancies caused by shared elements, performing optimizations and enhancing efficiency.
1137858
Runtime Security Verification for Itinerary-Driven Mobile Agents
We present a new approach to ensure the secure execution of itinerary-driven mobile agents, in which the specification of the navigational behavior of an agent is separated from the specification of its computational behavior. We empower each host with an access control policy so that the host will deny the access from an agent whose itinerary does not conform to the host's access control policy. A host uses model checking algorithms to check if the itinerary of the agent conforms to its access control policy written in mu-calculus, and if so, grant access permission. In order to address the state explosion problem for model checking itineraries, we propose an approach called model generation code. In this approach, instead of verifying the itinerary itself, a host actually checks the conservative models of a mobile agent. If a conservative model does not satisfy the host's access control policy, the mobile agent will provide refined models for further verification. Our preliminary results show that this is a practical and promising approach to ensure the secure execution of mobile agents