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SDN-based resource allocation for heterogeneous LTE and WLAN multi-radio networks

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Abstract

To meet increasing bandwidth demand, cellular network operators have increasingly deployed wireless local area networks (WLANs) on top of their cellular networks [e.g., long term evolution (LTE)]. State-of-the-art smartphones can utilize such heterogeneous LTE and WLAN radio bandwidth by operating the multi-radio interfaces simultaneously. This paper investigates how such heterogeneous radio bandwidth should be controlled and allocated to multi-radio user devices. A software-defined networking (SDN)-based resource allocation framework is proposed that can properly orchestrate heterogeneous radio bandwidth in emerging LTE/WLAN multi-radio networks in a centralized and holistic manner. The proposed framework is implemented and evaluated in a computing environment that combines a real SDN controller with simulated network forwarding entities.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Institute for Information & communications Technology Promotion (IITP) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (B0101-15-233, Smart Networking Core Technology Development). This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Education) (NRF-2015R1D1A1A01056606).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SDN Technology Research Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejon, South Korea

    Saehoon Kang

  2. Department of Electronic Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan, South Korea

    Wonyong Yoon

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  1. Saehoon Kang
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Correspondence to Wonyong Yoon.

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Kang, S., Yoon, W. SDN-based resource allocation for heterogeneous LTE and WLAN multi-radio networks. J Supercomput 72, 1342–1362 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-016-1662-6

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