Robust Channel Assignment for Link-level Resource Provisioning in Multi-Radio Multi-Channel Wireless Networks

In this paper, we investigate the problem of link-level resource provisioning in multi-radio multi-channel (MRMC) wireless networks. A robust channel assignment algorithm is proposed that explicitly takes into consideration link-level demands. Our solution approach utilizes the dual decomposition[11] and Gibbs sampler techniques, which effectively incorporate the channel allocation (combinatorial constraints), network resource and link-level demand (continuous constraints) in a single optimization framework. A key advantage of the proposed scheme is the robustness to channel variability and external interference sources. The proposed channel allocation algorithm can be implemented in a distributed manner with limited local information exchange among neighboring nodes. We have evaluated our scheme using traces collected from a wireless mesh testbed. Experiments show that the proposed channel assignment algorithm is superior to existing schemes in providing larger noise margin and reducing outage probability. Index Terms wireless networks, channel assignment, Gibbs sampler, dual-decomposition, noise margin