Low-complexity Channel-Aware Scheduling for multichannel wireless local area networks

In multi-channel wireless networks, effective scheduling algorithms are indispensable for fully harvesting the benefit of multiple channels. Since scheduling decisions need to be made quickly under time-varying wireless channels and traffic dynamics, low-complexity algorithms are especially appealing. In this paper, we study the problem of scheduling in multichannel wireless local area networks. We present a new class of polling service-based channel-aware scheduling algorithms, termed Channel-Aware Scheduling with Exhaustive Service and Hamiltonian Walk (CESH). The three proposed scheduling schemes are shown to have significantly reduced computational complexity, but achieve comparable delay performance as Maximum Weight Matching scheduling, the well-known optimal scheme, under various traffic patterns via simulation studies. The proposed schemes provide practical and effective solutions to the scheduling in multi-channel wireless networks.