Analysis and Optimization of Caching and Multicasting in Large-Scale Cache-Enabled Information-Centric Networks

Caching and multicasting at base stations are two promising approaches to support massive content delivery over wireless networks. However, existing analysis and designs do not fully explore and exploit the potential advantages of the two approaches. In this paper, we jointly consider caching and multicasting to maximize the successful transmission probability in large-scale information-centric networks. We propose a random caching and multicasting scheme with a design parameter. Utilizing tools from stochastic geometry, we derive a tractable expression and a closed-form expression for the successful transmission probability in the general and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regions, respectively. Then, using optimization techniques, we derive a simple asymptotically optimal design in the high SNR region, which provides important design insights. Finally, by numerical simulations, we show that the asymptotically optimal design also achieves a significant performance gain over some baseline schemes in the general SNR region, and hence is applicable and effective in practical cache-enabled information-centric networks.