A tractable algorithm for fair and efficient uplink scheduling of multi-hop wimax mesh networks

The IEEE 802.16 standard, also known as WiMax, provides a mechanism for deploying high-speed wireless mesh network in metropolitan areas. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for the data sub-channel allocation, i.e., transmission scheduling, of WiMax based mesh networks. The goal is to increase spatial reuse, achieve high system throughput, and provide fair access for the subscriber stations. In contrast to the previous "hard" fairness definitions, we introduce a new fairness notion that is imposed contingent on the actual traffic demands, in such a way that a higher capacity region can be achieved. We formulate a scheduling problem whose objective is to maximize the system throughput under our fairness model. We also develop an efficient algorithm to find the optimal schedule and the accompanying resource allocation. The performance of the scheduling algorithm is evaluated through simulations.