Network Coding Based Multicast in Multi-channel Multi-radio Wireless Mesh Networks

多播是一种通信形式，它以一种有效的方式将信息从一个源同时传递到一组目的地。许多重要的应用需要多播通信，如股票报价、财务数据、账单记录、软件、报纸、按次付费电影的分发；音频/视频会议;远程教育;分销网络游戏。无线网状网络是一种新兴技术，它可以实现廉价和快速的无线自组织网络部署，提供从一台计算机到另一台计算机或到Internet的多跳无线连接。无线网状网络（WMNs）支持许多重要的应用，例如农村地区的互联网接入供应、市政和城域网、用于紧急和灾难恢复的自组织网络、安全监视和公共交通系统的信息服务。在单信道WMN中，整个网络吞吐量受到同一信道（频带）上无线网状路由器并发传输的干扰。增强聚合网络吞吐量的最有效方法之一是在WMN中增加更多的信道，并使用具有多个无线电（天线）的路由器来支持不同信道上的并发传输。为了进一步提高网络吞吐量，允许路由器将多个数据包组合成单个传输的网络编码已被证明是一种很有前途的技术。在本研究计划中，我们研究了多通道多无线电（MCMR） WMNs中基于网络编码的组播（NetCoM）问题，涵盖了该问题的理论和实践两个方面。具体目标包括性能建模和评估、路由、信道分配、服务提供质量、流量/拥塞控制和可靠的多播。提出的研究计划的目标成果包括网络编码理论的新成果、对网通性能的更深入理解、网通在MCMR WMNs中实现高吞吐量的实用算法和协议、多播业务的更广泛部署以及无线网状网络技术的技术进步。

Multicast is a form of communication that delivers information from a source to a group of destinations simultaneously in an efficient manner. Many important applications require multicast communications such as distribution of stock quotes, financial data, billing records, software, newspapers, pay-per-view movies; audio/video conference; distance learning; and distributed online games. Wireless mesh networking is an emerging technology that enables inexpensive and quick deployments of wireless ad-hoc networks that provide multi-hop wireless connectivity from one computer to another or to the Internet. Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) support many important applications such as Internet access provisioning in rural areas, municipal and metropolitan networking, ad hoc networking for emergency and disaster recovery, security surveillance, and information services in public transportation systems. In a single-channel WMN, the overall network throughput is limited by interferences from concurrent transmissions of wireless mesh routers on the same channel (band of frequencies). One of the most effective approaches to enhance the aggregate network throughput is to add more channels to a WMN and use routers with multiple radios (antennas) to support concurrent transmissions on different channels. To further increase the network throughput, network coding, which allows a router to combine multiple packets into a single transmission, has been proven to be a promising technique. In this research program, we study the problem of NETwork COding based Multicast (NetCoM) in multi-channel multi-radio (MCMR) WMNs, covering both theoretical and practical aspects of the problem. Specific objectives include performance modeling and evaluation, routing, channel assignment, quality of service provisioning, flow/congestion control and reliable multicast. Targeted outcomes of the proposed research program include new results in network coding theory, deeper understanding of NetCoM performance, practical algorithms and protocols for NetCoM to achieve high throughput in MCMR WMNs, wider deployment of multicast services, and technical advances in wireless mesh networking technology.