Non-Linear Optimization of IEEE802.11e Super-frame Configuration

As the potential data-rates of wireless local area networks (WLANs) continue to rise, the ability of such systems to support a rich set of applications increases. The centralized control functions in the IEEE 802.11 family of standards have been developed to enable both data-oriented (browsing, email, etc.) traffic and quality of service (QoS) sensitive traffic to coexist. Balancing the demands of the two types of traffic has, to date, been achieved by algorithms based on experimental, heuristic data. In this paper we present a non-linear optimization theory-based approach for deriving optimum configurations with the IEEE 802.11/e centralized control functions in mind. The optimization algorithm itself (the "barrier method") is well-known; the challenge in problems such as this is in the formation of the utility function and its constraints, so these are explored in detail. Finally, we show the advantages of this approach over discrete look-up based approaches