Delay Optimization Via Packet Scheduling for Multi-Path Routing in Wireless Networks

Abstract

In this paper, the delay optimization problem of multi-path routing in wireless networks is studied. We propose a packet scheduling algorithm weighted shortest delay (WSD) for multi-path routing with the objective minimizing the total weighted delay of a set of packets. To solve the issue of differentiated quality of service, WSD algorithm assigns a nonnegative weight for each packet of every kind of wireless network application. At each network node along the path from source to destination, whenever a link of the node becomes idle, WSD algorithm transmits the packet with largest ratio of its weight to packet length among available packets which have arrived but not yet transmitted. Theoretical analysis proves that WSD algorithm is asymptotically optimal for the total weighted delay of transmitted packets if the arrival times, weights and transmission times of packets are bounded. Real experiment results further verify that WSD algorithm can enhance the delay performance of multi-path routing protocol profoundly.