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<p>The objective of the thesis research is to design such vertical handoff decision algorithms in order for mobile field workers and other mobile users equipped with contemporary multimode mobile devices to communicate seamlessly in the NGWN. In order to tackle this research objective, we used fuzzy logic and fuzzy inference systems to design a suitable handoff initiation algorithm that can handle imprecision and uncertainties in data and process multiple vertical handoff initiation parameters (criteria) / used the fuzzy multiple attributes decision making method and context awareness to design a suitable access network selection function that can handle a tradeoff among many handoff metrics including quality of service requirements (such as network conditions and system performance), mobile terminal conditions, power requirements, application types, user preferences, and a price model / used genetic algorithms and simulated annealing to optimise the access network selection function in order to dynamically select the optimal available access network for handoff / and we focused in particular on an interesting use case: vertical handoff decision between mobile WiMAX and UMTS access networks. The implementation of our handoff decision algorithm will provide a network selection mechanism to help mobile users select the best wireless access network among all available wireless access networks, that is, one that provides always best connected services to users.</p>

<p>The objective of the thesis research is to design such vertical handoff decision algorithms in order for mobile field workers and other mobile users equipped with contemporary multimode mobile devices to communicate seamlessly in the NGWN. In order to tackle this research objective, we used fuzzy logic and fuzzy inference systems to design a suitable handoff initiation algorithm that can handle imprecision and uncertainties in data and process multiple vertical handoff initiation parameters (criteria) / used the fuzzy multiple attributes decision making method and context awareness to design a suitable access network selection function that can handle a tradeoff among many handoff metrics including quality of service requirements (such as network conditions and system performance), mobile terminal conditions, power requirements, application types, user preferences, and a price model / used genetic algorithms and simulated annealing to optimise the access network selection function in order to dynamically select the optimal available access network for handoff / and we focused in particular on an interesting use case: vertical handoff decision between mobile WiMAX and UMTS access networks. The implementation of our handoff decision algorithm will provide a network selection mechanism to help mobile users select the best wireless access network among all available wireless access networks, that is, one that provides always best connected services to users.</p>

Au cours de ces dernières décennies, les réseaux de télécommunications mobiles ont évolué de la 1G à la 4G. La 4G permet la coexistence de différents réseaux d'accès. Ainsi, les utilisateurs ont la capacité de se connecter à un réseau hétérogène, constitué de plusieurs réseaux d'accès. Toutefois, la sélection du réseau approprié n'est pas une tâche facile pour les utilisateurs mobiles puisque les conditions de chaque réseau d'accès changent rapidement. Par ailleurs, en termes d'usage, le streaming vidéo devient le service principal de transfert de données sur les réseaux mobiles, ce qui amène les fournisseurs de contenu et les opérateurs de réseau à coopérer pour garantir la qualité de la diffusion. Dans ce contexte, la thèse propose la conception d'une approche novatrice pour la prise de décision optimale de sélection de réseau et une architecture améliorant les performances des services de streaming adaptatif dans un réseau hétérogène. En premier lieu, nous introduisons un modèle analytique décrivant la procédure de sélection de réseau en ne considérant déjà qu'une seule classe de trafic. Nous concevons ensuite une stratégie de sélection basée sur des fondements de la théorie du contrôle optimal linéaire. Des simulations sous MATLAB sont effectuées pour valider l'efficacité du mécanisme proposé. Sur ce même principe, nous étendons ce modèle avec un modèle analytique général décrivant les procédures de sélection de réseau dans des environnements de réseaux hétérogènes avec de multiples classes de trafic. Le modèle proposé est ensuite utilisé pour dériver un mécanisme adaptatif basé sur la théorie du contrôle, qui permet non seulement d'aider à piloter dynamiquement le trafic vers l'accès réseau le plus approprié mais aussi de bloquer dynamiquement le trafic résiduel lorsque le réseau est congestionné en ajustant les probabilités d'accès optimales. Nous discutons aussi les avantages d'une intégration transparente du mécanisme proposé avec l'ANDSF, solution fonctionnelle normalisée pour la sélection de réseau. Un prototype est également implémenté dans ns-3. En second lieu, nous nous concentrons sur l'amélioration des performances de DASH pour les utilisateurs mobiles dans un environnement de réseau d'accès 4G uniquement. Nous introduisons une nouvelle architecture basée sur l'utilisation de serveurs distribués en périphérie de réseau suivant le standard MEC. Le mécanisme d'adaptation proposé, fonctionnant en tant que service MEC, peut modifier les fichiers de manifeste en temps réel, en réponse à la congestion du réseau et à la demande dynamique de flux de streaming. Ces modifications conduisent ainsi les clients à sélectionner des représentations vidéo de débit / qualité plus appropriées. Nous avons développé une plateforme de test virtualisée pour l'expérimentation de notre proposition. Les résultats ainsi obtenus démontrent ses avantages en terme de QoE comparés aux approches d'adaptation traditionnelles, purement pilotées par les clients, car notre approche améliore non seulement le MOS mais aussi l'équité face à la congestion. Enfin, nous étendons l'architecture proposée basée sur MEC pour supporter le service de streaming adaptatif DASH dans un réseau hétérogène multi-accès afin de maximiser la QoE et l'équité des utilisateurs mobiles. Dans ce scénario, notre mécanisme doit aider les utilisateurs à sélectionner la qualité vidéo et le réseau et nous le formulons comme un problème d'optimisation. Ce problème d'optimisation peut être résolu par l'outil IBM CPLEX, mais cela prend du temps et ne peut être envisagé à grande échelle. Par conséquent, nous introduisons une heuristique pour aborder la solution optimale avec moins de complexité. Ensuite, nous mettons en œuvre une expérimentation sur notre plateforme de tests. Le résultat démontre que, par rapport à l'outil IBM CPLEX, notre algorithme permet d'obtenir des performances similaires sur la QoE globale et l'équité, avec un gain de temps significatif. / Telecommunication network has evolved from 1G to 4G in the past decades. One of the typical characteristics of the 4G network is the coexistence of heterogeneous radio access technologies, which offers end-users the capability to connect them and to switch between them with their mobile devices of the new generation. However, selecting the right network is not an easy task for mobile users since access network condition changes rapidly. Moreover, video streaming is becoming the major data service over the mobile network where content providers and network operators should cooperate to guarantee the quality of video delivery. In order to cope with this context, the thesis concerns the design of a novel approach for making an optimal network selection decision and architecture for improving the performance of adaptive streaming in the context of a heterogeneous network. Firstly, we introduce an analytical model (i.e. linear discrete-time system) to describe the network selection procedure considering one traffic class. Then, we consider the design of a selection strategy based on foundations from linear optimal control theory, with the objective to maximize network resource utilization while meeting the constraints of the supported services. Computer simulations with MATLAB are carried out to validate the efficiency of the proposed mechanism. Based on the same principal we extend this model with a general analytical model describing the network selection procedures in heterogeneous network environments with multiple traffic classes. The proposed model was, then, used to derive a scalable mechanism based on control theory, which allows not only to assist in steering dynamically the traffic to the most appropriate network access but also helps in blocking the residual traffic dynamically when the network is congested by adjusting dynamically the access probabilities. We discuss the advantages of a seamless integration with the ANDSF. A prototype is also implemented into ns-3. Simulation results sort out that the proposed scheme prevents the network congestion and demonstrates the effectiveness of the controller design, which can maximize the network resources allocation by converging the network workload to the targeted network occupancy. Thereafter, we focus on enhancing the performance of DASH in a mobile network environment for the users which has one access network. We introduce a novel architecture based on MEC. The proposed adaptation mechanism, running as an MEC service, can modify the manifest files in real time, responding to network congestion and dynamic demand, thus driving clients towards selecting more appropriate quality/bitrate video representations. We have developed a virtualized testbed to run the experiment with our proposed scheme. The simulation results demonstrate its QoE benefits compared to traditional, purely client-driven, bitrate adaptation approaches since our scheme notably improves both on the achieved MOS and on fairness in the face of congestion. Finally, we extend the proposed the MEC-based architecture to support the DASH service in a multi-access heterogeneous network in order to maximize the QoE and fairness of mobile users. In this scenario, our scheme should help users select both video quality and access network and we formulate it as an optimization problem. This optimization problem can be solved by IBM CPLEX tool. However, this tool is time-consuming and not scalable. Therefore, we introduce a heuristic algorithm to make a sub-optimal solution with less complexity. Then we implement a testbed to conduct the experiment and the result demonstrates that our proposed algorithm notably can achieve similar performance on overall achieved QoE and fairness with much more time-saving compared to the IBM CPLEX tool.

Abstract As mobile Internet access traffic continues to grow at an explosive rate and wireless networks continue to diverge into multiple access technologies with partly overlapping sets of features, new solutions for efficient use of these networks are vital. Cognitive network management provides tools to tackle this challenge by automatically learning from past experience the characteristics and usage patterns of the connected devices, thus enabling autonomic optimization of those connections. Cognitive network management requires a vast amount of information in order to function effectively, making collaboration of the networked devices essential as the best sources of information are scattered throughout the network. This makes efficient information dissemination one of the key enablers for autonomic networking. This dissertation studies managing control information related to autonomic selection of access networks and adapting services in a heterogeneous wireless network environment. It presents a solution to simple and efficient information dissemination in the form of Distributed Decision Engine— a CEP-like system enabling the building of a highly scalable and dynamic messaging system enabling dissemination, analysis and control of the complex series of interrelated events in the network. The dissertation also presents results showing a clear benefit in using cross-layer and cross-domain information in a modern wireless environment and validates the final prototype implementation of DDE with laboratory measurements. Effective use of disseminated cross-layer information is another key element in autonomic wireless networking. This dissertation also focuses on intelligent decision-making based on cross-layer information by presenting test results which attest that the performance of an autonomic wireless networking system can be improved by using cognitive techniques in its management algorithms, and that hierarchy and coordination can be utilized to minimize the effect of conflicting decisions of the system. / Tiivistelmä Mobiilin Internet-liikenteen räjähdysmäinen kasvu ja langattomien verkkojen jatkuva jakautuminen useisiin tekniikoihin vaativat uusia ratkaisuja näiden verkkojen tehokkaaseen käyttöön. Kognitiivinen verkon hallinta mahdollistaa oppimisen, minkä avulla laitteiden yhteyksiä voidaan optimoida autonomisesti aiemman kokemuksen perusteella. Tällainen optimointi vaatii kuitenkin valtavan määrän verkosta ja laitteista kerättyä tietoa, mikä tekee tehokkaasta tiedonjakelusta keskeisen elementin autonomisessa verkon hallinnassa. Tässä väitöskirjassa tutkitaan verkon valintaan ja palveluiden sopeuttamiseen vaadittavan tiedon välittämistä ja hallintaa autonomisissa langattomissa verkoissa. Ratkaisuna yksinkertaiseen ja tehokkaaseen tiedonvälitykseen esitellään hajautettu Distributed Decision Engine -komponentti, joka mahdollistaa skaalautuvan tiedon jakelu-, analysointi- ja hallintajärjestelmän rakentamisen. Lisäksi väitöskirjassa kuvataan myös tuloksia, jotka osoittavat, että verkkokerrosten välisen tiedon käyttämisellä voidaan saavuttaa selvää etua, sekä tuloksia, jotka vahvistavat DDE-prototyyppitoteutuksen toimivuuden laboratoriomittauksin. Verkkokerrosten välisen tiedon tehokas hyödyntäminen on toinen keskeinen tekijä autonomisessa langattomien verkkojen hallinnassa. Väitöskirjassa käsitellään myös älykästä päätöksentekoa kyseisen informaation pohjalta sekä esitellään tuloksia, jotka osoittavat, että päätöksentekoa autonomisessa langattomien verkkojen hallinnassa voidaan parantaa kognitiivisilla tekniikoilla. Lisäksi esitetyt tulokset osoittavat, että hierarkialla sekä koordinoinnilla voidaan minimoida ristiriitaisten päätösten vaikutukset järjestelmään.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The objective of the thesis research is to design such vertical handoff decision algorithms in order for mobile field workers and other mobile users equipped with contemporary multimode mobile devices to communicate seamlessly in the NGWN. In order to tackle this research objective, we used fuzzy logic and fuzzy inference systems to design a suitable handoff initiation algorithm that can handle imprecision and uncertainties in data and process multiple vertical handoff initiation parameters (criteria); used the fuzzy multiple attributes decision making method and context awareness to design a suitable access network selection function that can handle a tradeoff among many handoff metrics including quality of service requirements (such as network conditions and system performance), mobile terminal conditions, power requirements, application types, user preferences, and a price model; used genetic algorithms and simulated annealing to optimise the access network selection function in order to dynamically select the optimal available access network for handoff; and we focused in particular on an interesting use case: vertical handoff decision between mobile WiMAX and UMTS access networks. The implementation of our handoff decision algorithm will provide a network selection mechanism to help mobile users select the best wireless access network among all available wireless access networks, that is, one that provides always best connected services to users. / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Seamless mobility is the missing ingredient needed to address the inefficient communication problems faced by the field workforces of service companies that are using field workforce automation solutions to streamline and optimise the operations of their field workforces in an increasingly competitive market place. The key enabling function for achieving seamless mobility and seamless service continuity is seamless handoffs across heterogeneous wireless access networks. A challenging issue in the multi-service next generation wireless network (NGWN) is to design intelligent and optimal vertical handoff decision algorithms, beyond traditional ones that are based on only signal strength, to determine when to perform a handoff and to provide optimal choice of access network technology among all available access networks for users equipped with multimode mobile terminals. The objective of the thesis research is to design such vertical handoff decision algorithms in order for mobile field workers and other mobile users equipped with contemporary multimode mobile devices to communicate seamlessly in the NGWN. In order to tackle this research objective, we used fuzzy logic and fuzzy inference systems to design a suitable handoff initiation algorithm that can handle imprecision and uncertainties in data and process multiple vertical handoff initiation parameters (criteria); used the fuzzy multiple attributes decision making method and context awareness to design a suitable access network selection function that can handle a tradeoff among many handoff metrics including quality of service requirements (such as network conditions and system performance), mobile terminal conditions, power requirements, application types, user preferences, and a price model; used genetic algorithms and simulated annealing to optimise the access network selection function in order to dynamically select the optimal available access network for handoff; and we focused in particular on an interesting use case: vertical handoff decision between mobile WiMAX and UMTS access networks. The implementation of our handoff decision algorithm will provide a network selection mechanism to help mobile users select the best wireless access network among all available wireless access networks, that is, one that provides always best connected services to users