Wireless access networks are ever-changing their setup, topologies and provisions of coverage. Forthcoming deployment trends include densification of cells and convergence of the ‘native IP’ with cellular access networks with more than best-effort expectations. Greater meshing in networks due to practical deployment requirements is inevitable and needed. This paper proposes a routing protocol to address the “randomness” of topology interconnections, routing paths and sizes in emerging IP access networks. Termed as Minimum Set Cover (MSC) approach, it is a generalization of the NP and NP complete mathematical problem. The offline component of the MSC multiplies intra-domain routing installations, called Routing Planes (RPs) modelled as graphs, to suitably cover the whole routing topology prior to the traffic injections in the online component. We introduce novel offline optimization features using a dynamic cost function that plans availability of capacities and correlation of routing paths via the chosen set of RPs. Our simulations verify effective path diversity using MSC with its modest protocol overhead and a heuristic used for RPs selection. For randomly constructed access network topologies with 7, 18 and 33 routers and various meshing levels, our results show convincing suitability and key performances gains compared with rival routing solutions.

The expected variable nature of future access network structures calls for network providers to adapt accordingly in order to facilitate loss free networks supported with the developing IP infrastructure. To this end, a routing optimization mechanism applicable to randomly shaped all-IP access networks must be developed. In this paper, Multi-Plane Routing (MPR) that consolidates various aspects in all-IP infrastructure as a whole is redesigned and reformulated to provide a comprehensive solution in consideration of the randomness of future access networks. We prove the offline Routing Plane (RP) construction problem as being the generalization of the Minimum Set Cover (MSC) problem which is NP and also NP-complete. To this end, we propose a novel MSC-based paths-diverse offline TE algorithm which is comprehensively applicable to random wireless access network structures. Our simulation results demonstrate the constructed RPs for complex random networks of different sizes and sparseness (i.e. meshing). Hence, the comprehensive applicability of our novel approach is verified. Moreover, we propose a new optimization framework along with a dynamic cost function (considering capacity and correlation of paths) that formally describe our novel offline TE mechanism for future randomly shaped wireless IP access networks.

With the expected surge in the global IP traffic, service providers would need to adapt accordingly to operate disruption and loss free networks supported with the developing IP infrastructure. With the disposal of the hierarchical network structure, radio access networks are moving towards a flat-IP architecture and novel topological set-ups in the backhaul. Hence, a routing paradigm that employs suitable Traffic Engineering (TE) techniques aligned with the developing nature of future access networks must be applied. It becomes imminent that the routing considerations for IP access networks converge with the ones found in conventional intra-domain routing. In this paper, Multi-Plane Routing (MPR) that consolidates various aspects in all-IP infrastructure is extensively studied in access network structures. We propose a MPR-based TE approach considering two different scenarios to reflect the evolution in the architectural design of access network structures under a realistic traffic scenario with a varying range of internal/external traffic. Moreover, a new optimization framework for the offline and online TE mechanisms of MPR have been formulated. Accordingly, a practical performance evaluation testing the validity of the aforementioned scenarios is presented. Our simulation results demonstrate extensive analysis in terms of several performance criteria in networks. It is convincingly shown that for ranges of topologies, MPR's utilization of whole topology in building path diversity in networks, allows for significant improvement of networks capacity, performance, and support for meshing.