Analysis of short term fairness and its impact on packet level performance

Abstract

In this paper, we consider the one-bit feedback scheduler with a threshold in a wireless network. Due to its feedback reduction structure, the one-bit feedback scheduler has been studied as one of the good candidates implementable in a practical wireless network, and it is important to determine the threshold value of the one-bit feedback scheduler. To solve this problem, network throughput and/or long term fairness were mainly considered in previous studies. However, when we consider the packet level performance such as packet overflow probability, both short term fairness and long term fairness should be considered because both significantly affect the packet level performance. Accordingly, if the scheduler cannot provide a higher level of short term fairness to mobile stations (MSs), the packet level performances of MSs are significantly different from MS to MS even when the scheduler provides strict long term fairness. To see the effect of short term fairness on the packet level performance, we analyze short term fairness and long term fairness of the one-bit feedback scheduler with a given threshold value. We also analyze throughput of each MS and network throughput. Based on our analytic results, we investigate the joint effects of short term fairness and network throughput on the packet level performances of MSs. We also show that there is a trade-off between short term fairness and network throughput in one-bit feedback scheduling through numerical studies. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.