Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A genetic algorithm approach for multi-attribute vertical handover decision making in wireless networks

  • Published:
Telecommunication Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mobile terminals can typically connect to multiple wireless networks which offer varying levels of suitability for different classes of service. Due to the changing dynamics of network attributes and mobile users’ traffic needs, vertical handovers across heterogeneous networks become highly desirable. Multiple attribute decision making (MADM) techniques offer an efficient approach for ranking competing networks and selecting the best one according to specific quality of service parameters. In this paper, a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to optimize network attributes’ weighting by emphasizing ranking differences among candidate networks, thereby aiding correct decision making by reducing unnecessary handovers and ranking abnormalities. The performance of the proposed GA-based vertical handover is investigated with typical MADM techniques including Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results show that the proposed GA-based weight determination approach reduces the abnormality observed in the conventional SAW and TOPSIS techniques substantially. The results of this paper will help ensuring the application of MADM methods to more dynamic and challenging decision making problems encountered in wireless network.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bhuvaneswari, A. (2012). An overview of vertical handoff decision making algorithms. International Journal of Computer Network and Information Security, 4(9), 55–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Wang, H., Katz, R., & Giese, J. (1999). Policy-enabled handoffs across heterogeneous wireless networks. In Proceedings of the second IEEE workshop on mobile computer systems and applications (pp. 51–60).

  3. Akhila, S., Murthy, J., Shankar, A., & Kumar, S. (2012). An overview on decision techniques for vertical handovers across wireless heterogeneous networks. International Journal of Science and Engineering Research, 3(1), 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Arshad, R., Elsawy, H., Sorour, S., Al-Naffouri, T. Y., & Alouini, M.-S. (2017). Velocity-aware handover management in two-tier cellular networks. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 16(3), 1851–1867.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang, H., Ma, W., Li, W., Zheng, W., Wen, X., & Jiang, C. (2011). Signalling cost evaluation of handover management schemes in LTE-advanced femtocell. 2011 IEEE 73rd vehicular technology conference (VTC Spring) (pp. 1–5).

  6. Zhang, H., Jiang, C., Cheng, J., & Leung, V. C. M. (2015). Cooperative interference mitigation and handover management for heterogeneous cloud small cell networks. IEEE Wireless Communications, 22(3), 92–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhang, H., Zheng, W., Wen, X., & Jiang, C. (2011). Signalling overhead evaluation of HeNB mobility enhanced schemes in 3GPP LTE-advanced. IEEE vehicular technology conference (pp. 1–5). Budapest.

  8. Su, D., Wen, X., Zhang, H., & Zheng, W. (2010). A self-optimizing mobility management scheme based on cell ID information in high velocity environment. In 2010 2nd International conference on computer science and network technology (pp. 285–288).

  9. Zhang, H., Wen, X., Wang, B., Zheng, W., & Sun, Y. A novel handover mechanism between femtocell and macrocell for LTE based networks. In 2010 2nd International conference on communication software and networks (pp. 228–231).

  10. Stevens-Navarro, E., & Wong, V. (2006). Comparison between vertical handoff decision algorithms for heterogeneous wireless networks. In IEEE 63rd vehicular technology conference (Vol. 2, pp. 947–951).

  11. Gondara, M. K., & Kadam, S. (2011). Requirements of vertical handover mechanism in 4G wireless networks. The International Journal of Wireless & Mobile Networks, 3(2), 18–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Tran, P. N., & Boukhatem, N. (2008). Comparison of MADM decision algorithms for interface selection in heterogeneous wireless networks. In 16th International conference on software, telecommunications and computer networks (pp. 119–124).

  13. Alyousfi, E. A., & Alkhawlani, M. M. (2016). Optimization of vertical handover performance using elimination based MCDM algorithm. Journal of Science and Technology, 21(1), 47–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Mohamed, L., Leghris, C., & Abdellah, A. (2012). A survey and comparison study on weighting algorithms for access network selection. In 9th Annual conference on wireless on-demand network systems and services (WONS) (pp. 35–38).

  15. Almutairi, A. F., Landolsi, M. A., & Al-Hawaj, A. O. (2016). Weighting selection in GRA-based MADM for vertical handover in wireless networks. In 2016 UKSim-AMSS 18th International conference on computer modeling and simulation (UKSim) (pp. 331–336).

  16. Almutairi, A. F., Landolsi, M. A., & Al-Mashmoum, H. Q. (2016). Performance of different weighting techniques with DIA MADM method in heterogeneous wireless networks. In International wireless communications and mobile computing conference (IWCMC) (pp. 921–925).

  17. Bari, F., & Leung, V. (2007). Multi-attribute network selection by iterative TOPSIS for heterogeneous wireless access. In Proceedings of 4th IEEE consumer communications and networking conference (pp. 808–812).

  18. Senouci, M. A., Hoceini, S., & Mellouk, A. (2016). Utility function-based TOPSIS for network interface selection in heterogeneous wireless networks. In 2016 IEEE international conference on communications (ICC) (pp. 1–6).

  19. Wang, Y., & Elhag, T. M. (2006). An approach to avoiding rank reversal in AHP. Decision Support Systems, 42(3), 1474–1480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Radhika, K., & Reddy, A. V. (2011). AHP and group decision making for access network selection in multi-homed mobile terminals. International Journal of Computational Science and Engineering, 3(10), 3412–3421.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ren, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., & Sun, Z. (2007). Comparative analysis of a novel M-TOPSIS method and TOPSIS. Applied Mathematics Research eXpress, 2007, abm005. doi:10.1093/amrx/abm005.

  22. Mohamed, L., Leghris, C., & Abdellah, A. (2012). An intelligent network selection strategy based on MADM methods in heterogeneous networks. The International Journal of Wireless & Mobile Networks, 4(1), 83–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Huszak, A., & Imre, S. (2010). Eliminating rank reversal phenomenon in GRA-based network selection method. In IEEE international conference on communications (pp. 1–6).

  24. Jahan, A., & Edwards, K. L. (2015). A state-of-the-art survey on the influence of normalization techniques in ranking: Improving the materials selection process in engineering design. Materials & Design, 1980–2015(65), 335–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Liu, C., Sun, Y., Yang, P., Liu, Z., Zhang, H., & Wen, Z. A two-step vertical handoff decision algorithm based on dynamic weight compensation. In Communications workshops (ICC), 2013 IEEE international conference, pp. 1031–1035.

  26. Saaty, T. L. (2008). Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process. International Journal of Services Sciences, 1(1), 83–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lahby, M., Cherkaoui, L., & Adib, A. (2014). Performance analysis of normalization techniques for network selection access in heterogeneous wireless networks. In 9th International conference on intelligent systems pp. (1–5).

  28. Chakraborty, S., & Yeh, C.-H. (2009). A simulation comparison of normalization procedures for TOPSIS. In International conference on computers and industrial engineering (pp. 1815–1820).

  29. Escobar, L., Navarro, A., Arteaga, A., Guerrero, F., & Salazar, C. (2010). Vertical handoff algorithms—A new approach for performance evaluation. In IEEE Globecom workshops (pp. 1724–1728).

  30. Suhaimi, N. S., Kamarudin, S. N. K., Othman, Z., & Arbin, N. (2014). Multi-objective genetic algorithm in solving conflicted goals for questions generating problem. In 2014 5th International conference intelligent systems, modelling and simulation (pp. 60–63).

  31. Nag, K., & Pal, N. R. (2016). A multiobjective genetic programming-based ensemble for simultaneous feature selection and classification. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, 46(2), 499–510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Chandralekha, & Behera, P. K. (2010). Minimization of number of handover using genetic algorithm in heterogeneous wireless network. The International Journal of Latest Trends in Computing, 1(2), 24–28.

  33. Goldberg, D. E. (1989). Genetic algorithms in search, optimization and machine learning. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Nkansah-Gyekye, Y., & Agbinya, J. I. (2008). A vertical handoff decision algorithm for next generation wireless networks. In 3rd International conference of broadband communication, information technology and biomedical applications (pp. 358–364).

  35. Haoliang, P., Wenxiao, S., Shuxiang, L., & Chuanjun, X. (2012). A GA-FNN based vertical handoff algorithm for heterogeneous wireless networks. In Proceedings of IEEE international conference on computer science and automation engineering (CSAE) (Vol. 2, pp. 37–40).

  36. Elahi, A., Qureshi, I. M., Atif, M., & Gul, N. Interference reduction in cognitive radio networks using genetic and firefly algorithms. In 2017 International conference on communication, computing, and digital systems (C-CODE) (pp. 96–100).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, Khaldiya, Kuwait

    Ali F. Almutairi, Mohannad Hamed, Mohamed Adnan Landolsi & Mishal Algharabally

Authors
  1. Ali F. Almutairi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohannad Hamed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mohamed Adnan Landolsi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mishal Algharabally
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali F. Almutairi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Almutairi, A.F., Hamed, M., Landolsi, M.A. et al. A genetic algorithm approach for multi-attribute vertical handover decision making in wireless networks. Telecommun Syst 68, 151–161 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11235-017-0364-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11235-017-0364-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation