A Comprehensive Survey on Resource Allocation for CRAN in 5G and Beyond Networks

in Journal of Network and Computer Applications (2020)

The diverse service requirements coming with the advent of sophisticated applications as well as a large number of connected devices demand for revolutionary changes in the traditional distributed radio ... [more ▼]

The diverse service requirements coming with the advent of sophisticated applications as well as a large number of connected devices demand for revolutionary changes in the traditional distributed radio access network (RAN). To this end, Cloud-RAN (CRAN) is considered as an important paradigm to enhance the performance of the upcoming fifth generation (5G) and beyond wireless networks in terms of capacity, latency, and connectivity to a large number of devices. Out of several potential enablers, efficient resource allocation can mitigate various challenges related to user assignment, power allocation, and spectrum management in a CRAN, and is the focus of this paper. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of resource allocation schemes in a CRAN along with a detailed optimization taxonomy on various aspects of resource allocation. More importantly, we identity and discuss the key elements for efficient resource allocation and management in CRAN, namely: user assignment, remote radio heads (RRH) selection, throughput maximization, spectrum management, network utility, and power allocation. Furthermore, we present emerging use-cases including heterogeneous CRAN, millimeter-wave CRAN, virtualized CRAN, Non- Orthogonal Multiple Access (NoMA)-based CRAN and fullduplex enabled CRAN to illustrate how their performance can be enhanced by adopting CRAN technology. We then classify and discuss objectives and constraints involved in CRAN-based 5G and beyond networks. Moreover, a detailed taxonomy of optimization methods and solution approaches with different objectives is presented and discussed. Finally, we conclude the paper with several open research issues and future directions. [less ▲]

Emerging Edge Computing Technologies for Distributed IoT Systems

in IEEE Network (2019)

The ever-increasing growth of connected smart devices and Internet of Things (IoT) verticals is leading to the crucial challenges of handling the massive amount of raw data generated by distributed IoT ... [more ▼]

The ever-increasing growth of connected smart devices and Internet of Things (IoT) verticals is leading to the crucial challenges of handling the massive amount of raw data generated by distributed IoT systems and providing timely feedback to the end-users. Although existing cloud computing paradigm has an enormous amount of virtual computing power and storage capacity, it might not be able to satisfy delaysensitive applications since computing tasks are usually processed at the distant cloud-servers. To this end, edge/fog computing has recently emerged as a new computing paradigm that helps to extend cloud functionalities to the network edge. Despite several benefits of edge computing including geo-distribution, mobility support and location awareness, various communication and computing related challenges need to be addressed for future IoT systems. In this regard, this paper provides a comprehensive view on the current issues encountered in distributed IoT systems and effective solutions by classifying them into three main categories, namely, radio and computing resource management, intelligent edge-IoT systems, and flexible infrastructure management. Furthermore, an optimization framework for edge-IoT systems is proposed by considering the key performance metrics including throughput, delay, resource utilization and energy consumption. Finally, a Machine Learning (ML) based case study is presented along with some numerical results to illustrate the significance of ML in edge-IoT computing. [less ▲]