NeTS: Small: Toward Optimal, Efficient, and Holistic Networking Design for Massive-MIMO Wireless Networks

近年来，移动互联网设备的激增（如智能手机、平板电脑等）不断将当前的无线网络推向其容量极限。提高频谱效率是扩大网络容量的关键途径。为了使未来的无线网络能够支持每秒千兆的数据速率，近年来人们进行了大量的研究工作，称为“大规模多输入多输出”系统（M-MIMO），其中天线的数量扩大到数百甚至数千。然而，到目前为止，这些努力大多局限于物理层或信号处理方面的问题。从网络的角度来看，关于如何最佳地使用M-MIMO技术以及开发控制和优化算法来提高网络容量、延迟和能源消耗性能的知识非常有限。拟议的研究将通过促进基于m - mimo的无线网络的发展，使网络社区在吞吐量、延迟、能量消耗方面大幅提高网络性能。通过这个项目，研究者还旨在推动M-MIMO在正式课堂教学中的研究，并教育学生灌输对M-MIMO的深刻理解和知识。研究人员将主持一个研讨会，向无线网络领域的公司展示研究成果。本研究不仅将提高M-MIMO无线网络设计方面的知识，而且还将通过统一的研究计划探索对M-MIMO网络的网络级理解，从而满足一般网络研究界的关键需求，该研究计划包括开发可处理的跨层理论模型，探索理论性能界限和限制，以及开发分布式算法。本项目致力于回答以下首要问题：M-MIMO物理层的线性容量缩放定律能否转化为上层在吞吐量、延迟和能量消耗方面的性能提升？具体而言，该项目将重点研究以下三个相互关联的重点领域：1)M-MIMO多跳回程网络的最佳路由和拥塞控制；2) M-MIMO蜂窝网络高效调度设计；3) M-MIMO无线网络的能量分析。该项目旨在弥合M-MIMO物理层进展与无线网络研究之间的差距。

The proliferation of mobile-Internet devices in recent years (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.) has continuously pushed the current wireless networks to their capacity limits. A key approach to enlarge network capacity is to increase spectrum efficiency. To allow future wireless networks to support multi-Gigabit per second data rates, there have been significant research efforts in recent years termed 'massive multiple-input multiple-output' systems (M-MIMO), where the numbers of antennas are scaled up to hundreds or even thousands. However, so far, these efforts are mostly limited to problems at the physical layer or signal processing aspects. There is very limited knowledge on how to optimally employ M-MIMO technologies and develop control and optimization algorithms to improve network capacity, delay, and energy expenditure performances from networking perspectives. The proposed research will enable the networking community by facilitating the development of M-MIMO-based wireless networks with substantially increased network performances in terms of throughput, delay, energy expenditure. Through this project, the investigator also aims to advance M-MIMO research in formal classroom instruction and educate students to inculcate a strong comprehension and knowledge of M-MIMO. The investigator will host a workshop to present research findings to companies in the areas of wireless networking. This research will not only advance the knowledge in the design of M-MIMO wireless networks but will also serve a critical need in the general networking research community by exploring a network-level understanding of M-MIMO networks through a unified research program, which consists of the development of tractable cross-layer theoretical models, exploration of theoretical performance bounds and limits, and the development of distributed algorithms.This project strives to answer the following overarching questions: Could the linear capacity scaling law at the M-MIMO physical layer be translated into upper layers' performance gains in throughput, delay, and energy expenditure? Specifically, the project will focus the research efforts along the following three interrelated thrust areas: 1) optimal routing and congestion control for M-MIMO multi-hop backhaul networks; 2) efficient scheduling design for M-MIMO cellular networks; and 3) energy analytics for M-MIMO wireless networks. The project aims to bridge the gaps between physical layer advances in M-MIMO and wireless networking research.