Performance of efficient multi-class message transfers over a satellite multiple access channel via uplink resource allocation

The future success of next generation communication systems depend on its ability to efficiently accommodate integrated traffic and service a variety of applications and communications with different Quality of Service requirements. In this paper, we examine resource allocation techniques in the media access control layer for shared access channels. This type of medium where resources are accessible to all users are characteristic of satellite communication uplinks, multiple user broadcast wavelength division multiplexing, all-optical fiber networks and wireless uplinks to a base station. We believe in certain cases, e.g. when large bandwidth-delay products exist, resource partitioning according to user transaction sizes is a sensible scheme. We investigate efficient channel capacity partitioning among mixed traffic, ie, multiple classes of users. We develop models that describe the overall delay for sending messages and analyze their performance. We then compare the performances to classical schemes, such as first-come first-serve, non-preemptive priority and preemptive resume priority. Analytical results for cases where two very disparate mixed traffic (small and very large messages sizes) are given. Optimum resource partitioning of channel capacity is obtained by minimizing some simple and sensible metric of overall message (not individual packet) transfer delay