Abstract
The aims of this survey article are to elaborate on cross-layer optimization, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Software-Defined Radio (SDR) as separate domains of wireless network design for which a unified view has not been adequately considered to date and present lessons learned, with a view towards the challenges associated with SDN-SDR interaction that would facilitate benefits in cross-layer optimization of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). We focus on MANETs because ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${i}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) they are still at the forefront of technology, and in some scenarios they are the only meaningful option for establishing communication; ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ii</i> ) they expose the full potential and benefits of coexistence and interaction of SDN and SDR, in terms of optimizing key performance indicators. While SDN and SDR are mature technologies, their interaction and joint consideration have been largely overlooked. Current SDN approaches do not span the physical (PHY) and medium-access control (MAC) layers, but they rather concentrate on network-level routing and traffic flow optimization. As a result, PHY- and MAC-layer related parameters which notoriously affect key network performance metrics remain static or at best are adapted based on some heuristic or local approaches. On the other hand, the reach of SDR architectures is restricted to the PHY and MAC layers. We discuss the state of the art of cross-layer optimization, SDN and SDR, and current challenges associated with coexistence and interaction of SDN and SDR. Such an interaction would extend the span of SDN to PHY and MAC layers and lead to realizations of centralized approaches across all layers so as to control and optimize parameters, towards global network objectives. It would also create a bridge between centralized network control that is inherent in SDN and the distributed nature of MANETs, with the add-on features of flexible and fast PHY and MAC layer adaptation offered by SDR, for solid, autonomous and ultimately better network control implementations that span all layers, towards realizing and implementing the holy grail of real cross-layer optimization.
Highlights
The last three decades have seen significant progress on wireless multi-hop networks and wireless ad hoc networking
It would create a bridge between centralized network control that is inherent in Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and the distributed nature of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), with the add-on features of flexible and fast PHY and medium-access control (MAC) layer adaptation offered by Software-Defined Radio (SDR), for solid, autonomous and better network control implementations that span all layers, towards realizing and implementing the holy grail of real cross-layer optimization
A POSSIBLE SDN-SDR INTERACTION LOOP In this subsection, we demonstrate a possible interaction loop between the SDR and SDN components that operate on a single wireless device
Summary
The last three decades have seen significant progress on wireless multi-hop networks and wireless ad hoc networking. An interaction of SDN and SDR would extend the reachability of SDN down to MAC and PHY layers, leading to realization of a centralized approach spanning all layers, in which parameters from all layers would be jointly controlled and optimized towards the global network objectives and metrics. Another class of works considers the interaction of PHY and Data-Link control (DLC) layer through the impact of modulation level, coding rate, and transmit power control on Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) schemes Another class of works makes use of throughput information from the MAC layer in making the routing decisions at the network layer. In BP, while queue differentials can be computed in a distributed fashion by communication of each node with its neighbors, the determination of the link schedule and link transmission rate requires the solution of a centralized (global) optimization problem for which information from the entire network is needed. A last-in-first-out (LIFO) queue service is proposed instead of first-in-first-out (FIFO), which leads to reduction in packet delivery delays
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