Performance Evaluation And Analysis Of Algorithms For Scheduling Scheme For IEEE 802.16 Broadband Wireless Access Systems

At present, Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) networks have proved to be a viable solution providing service to personal and commercial clients demanding for high speed Internet access. The Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) system is based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard which defines the specifications for the physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers of fixed and mobile broadband wireless access system. IEEE 802.16 standard is intended to meet and better the expectation of broadband cabled networks especially in areas considered difficult to deploy such networks. BWA networks are experiencing considerable growth due to their unique advantages contrary to the wired technologies such as fast deployment and easy configuration, lower investment, reduced maintenance cost, high scalability and also preference by end-user.With demands for high speed Internet access, it is very vital to provide most favourable services to end-users by guaranteeing varied Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of different applications. We point out that scheduling algorithm is critical in providing QoS over such networks. The WiMAX/IEEE 802.16 standard does not specify a mandatory scheduling algorithm to satisfy stern QoS requirements for the different classes of traffic. The standard only establishes a framework which provides an opportunity for developers to design efficient scheduling mechanisms to fulfill stringent QoS requirements for different classes of traffic. The scheduling scheme requires catering for rigorous QoS guarantee for all types of service flows as specified in the standard, enabling fairness and facilitating of lower priority traffic. The MAC layer specification essentially deals with packet scheduling, which resolves contention for bandwidth and considers the transmission order of users.In order to embrace massive WiMAX deployment, evaluating the performance of packet scheduling algorithms is of paramount significance. We evaluate the algorithms with regard to their ability to support and serve different classes of traffic, providing Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, considering bandwidth utilization amongst service classes and delay. In this work, a performance study of scheduling algorithms and analysis in point-to-multipoint mode of OFDM-based WiMAX solution is presented. WiMAX scheduling algorithms categorization has been discussed and simulation conducted. Our work provides significant recommendations that can be implemented by developers to design efficient scheduling mechanisms.