A Robust Distributive Approach to Adaptive Power and Adaptive Rate Link Scheduling in Wireless Mesh Networks

In this paper, we present a distributive heuristic algorithm for maximizing the network throughput in adaptive power and adaptive rate spatial-TDMA wireless mesh networks. At each step of our algorithm, the link with highest receive Signal-to-Interference and Noise Ratio in its neighborhood is included in the schedule that is set for the underlying time slot, configuring its Modulation/Coding Scheme so that it transmits at the highest feasible power and rate levels. The transmitting node of the winning link announces the current receive power margin of its link´s receiver to its neighbors. The transmitters of unscheduled links subsequently calculate the maximum potential Signal-to-Interference and Noise Ratio level at which their links could operate if scheduled next. The process repeats until the announced power margins of scheduled links do not allow more additions to the schedule at the underlying time slot. We show the performance of this distributive algorithm to be within 5-10% of that exhibited by our recently developed centralized algorithm, while inducing a much lower computational complexity. We also demonstrate the robustness and energy efficiency of our distributive algorithm by applying it to schedule a new set of links on top of an existing schedule. For the examined scenarios, we show that the throughput rate achieved by using such an incremental scheduling scheme is within 15% of the throughput rate attained when a complete scheduling of all the links is carried out, while reducing the control traffic overhead rate and achieving a more energy efficient operation.