arXiv subjects

Hancheng Lu

Publications and source records attributed to Hancheng Lu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

BLADE: Adaptive Wi-Fi Contention Control for Next-Generation Real-Time Communication

Next-generation real-time communication (NGRTC) applications, such as cloud gaming and XR, demand consistently ultra-low latency. However, through our first large-scale measurement, we find that despite the deployment of edge servers, dedicated congestion control, and loss recovery mechanisms, cloud gaming users still experience long-tail latency in Wi-Fi networks. We further identify that Wi-Fi last-mile access points (APs) serve as the primary latency bottleneck. Specifically, short-term packet delivery droughts, caused by fundamental limitations in Wi-Fi contention control standards, are the root cause. To address this issue, we propose BLADE, an adaptive contention control algorithm that dynamically adjusts the contention windows (CW) of all Wi-Fi transmitters based on the channel contention level in a fully distributed manner. Our NS3 simulations and real-world evaluations with commercial Wi-Fi APs demonstrate that, compared to standard contention control, BLADE reduces Wi-Fi packet transmission tail latency by over 5X under heavy channel contention and significantly stabilizes MAC throughput while ensuring fast and fair convergence. Consequently, BLADE reduces the video stall rate in cloud gaming by over 90%.

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arXiv2026

NOMA-Assisted Multi-BS MEC Networks for Delay-Sensitive and Computation-Intensive IoT Applications

The burgeoning and ubiquitous deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape struggles with ultra-low latency demands for computation-intensive tasks in massive connectivity scenarios. In this paper, we propose an innovative uplink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-assisted multi-base station (BS) mobile edge computing (BS-MEC) network tailored for massive IoT connectivity. To fulfill the quality-of-service (QoS) requirements of delay-sensitive and computation-intensive IoT applications, we formulate a joint task offloading, user grouping, and power allocation optimization problem with the overarching objective of minimizing the system's total delay, aiming to address issues of unbalanced subchannel access, inter-group interference, computational load disparities, and device heterogeneity. To effectively tackle this problem, we first reformulate task offloading and user grouping into a non-cooperative game model and propose an exact potential game-based joint decision-making (EPG-JDM) algorithm, which dynamically selects optimal task offloading and subchannel access decisions for each IoT device based on its channel conditions, thereby achieving the Nash Equilibrium. Then, we propose a majorization-minimization (MM)-based power allocation algorithm, which transforms the original subproblem into a tractable convex optimization paradigm. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate that our proposed EPG-JDM algorithm significantly outperforms state-of-the-art decision-making algorithms and classic heuristic algorithms, yielding performance improvements of up to 19.3% and 14.7% in terms of total delay and power consumption, respectively.

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arXiv2025

AoI-Aware Task Offloading and Transmission Optimization for Industrial IoT Networks: A Branching Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

In the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the frequent transmission of large amounts of data over wireless networks should meet the stringent timeliness requirements. Particularly, the freshness of packet status updates has a significant impact on the system performance. In this paper, we propose an age-of-information (AoI)-aware multi-base station (BS) real-time monitoring framework to support extensive IIoT deployments. To meet the freshness requirements of IIoT, we formulate a joint task offloading and resource allocation optimization problem with the goal of minimizing long-term average AoI. Tackling the core challenges of combinatorial explosion in multi-BS decision spaces and the stochastic dynamics of IIoT systems is crucial, as these factors render traditional optimization methods intractable. Firstly, an innovative branching-based Dueling Double Deep Q-Network (Branching-D3QN) algorithm is proposed to effectively implement task offloading, which optimizes the convergence performance by reducing the action space complexity from exponential to linear levels. Then, an efficient optimization solution to resource allocation is proposed by proving the semi-definite property of the Hessian matrix of bandwidth and computation resources. Finally, we propose an iterative optimization algorithm for efficient joint task offloading and resource allocation to achieve optimal average AoI performance. Extensive simulations demonstrate that our proposed Branching-D3QN algorithm outperforms both state-of-the-art DRL methods and classical heuristics, achieving up to a 75% enhanced convergence speed and at least a 22% reduction in the long-term average AoI.

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arXiv2025

Physiological Signal-Driven QoE Optimization for Wireless Virtual Reality Transmission

Abrupt resolution changes in virtual reality (VR) streaming can significantly impair the quality-of-experience (QoE) of users, particularly during transitions from high to low resolutions. Existing QoE models and transmission schemes inadequately address the perceptual impact of these shifts. To bridge this gap, this article proposes, for the first time, an innovative physiological signal-driven QoE modeling and optimization framework that fully leverages users' electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and skin activity signals. This framework precisely captures the temporal dynamics of physiological responses and resolution changes in VR streaming, enabling accurate quantification of resolution upgrades' benefits and downgrades' impacts. Integrated the proposed QoE framework into the radio access network (RAN) via a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework, adaptive transmission strategies have been implemented to allocate radio resources dynamically, which mitigates short-term channel fluctuations and adjusts frame resolution in response to channel variations caused by user mobility. By prioritizing long-term resolution while minimizing abrupt transitions, the proposed solution achieves an 88.7\% improvement in resolution and an 81.0\% reduction in handover over the baseline. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this physiological signal-driven strategy, underscoring the promise of edge AI in immersive media services.

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arXiv2025

When xURLLC Meets NOMA: A Stochastic Network Calculus Perspective

The advent of next-generation ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (xURLLC) presents stringent and unprecedented requirements for key performance indicators (KPIs). As a disruptive technology, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) harbors the potential to fulfill these stringent KPIs essential for xURLLC. However, the immaturity of research on the tail distributions of these KPIs significantly impedes the application of NOMA to xURLLC. Stochastic network calculus (SNC), as a potent methodology, is leveraged to provide dependable theoretical insights into tail distribution analysis and statistical QoS provisioning (SQP). In this article, we develop a NOMA-assisted uplink xURLLC network architecture that incorporates an SNC-based SQP theoretical framework (SNC-SQP) to support tail distribution analysis in terms of delay, age-of-information (AoI), and reliability. Based on SNC-SQP, an SQP-driven power optimization problem is proposed to minimize transmit power while guaranteeing xURLLC's KPIs on delay, AoI, reliability, and power consumption. Extensive simulations validate our proposed theoretical framework and demonstrate that the proposed power allocation scheme significantly reduces uplink transmit power and outperforms conventional schemes in terms of SQP performance.

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arXiv2025

Topology-aware Microservice Architecture in Edge Networks: Deployment Optimization and Implementation

As a ubiquitous deployment paradigm, integrating microservice architecture (MSA) into edge networks promises to enhance the flexibility and scalability of services. However, it also presents significant challenges stemming from dispersed node locations and intricate network topologies. In this paper, we have proposed a topology-aware MSA characterized by a three-tier network traffic model encompassing the service, microservices, and edge node layers. This model meticulously characterizes the complex dependencies between edge network topologies and microservices, mapping microservice deployment onto link traffic to accurately estimate communication delay. Building upon this model, we have formulated a weighted sum communication delay optimization problem considering different types of services. Then, a novel topology-aware and individual-adaptive microservices deployment (TAIA-MD) scheme is proposed to solve the problem efficiently, which accurately senses the network topology and incorporates an individual-adaptive mechanism in a genetic algorithm to accelerate the convergence and avoid local optima. Extensive simulations show that, compared to the existing deployment schemes, TAIA-MD improves the communication delay performance by approximately 30% to 60% and effectively enhances the overall network performance. Furthermore, we implement the TAIA-MD scheme on a practical microservice physical platform. The experimental results demonstrate that TAIA-MD achieves superior robustness in withstanding link failures and network fluctuations.

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arXiv2025

DMSA: A Decentralized Microservice Architecture for Edge Networks

The dispersed node locations and complex topologies of edge networks, combined with intricate dynamic microservice dependencies, render traditional centralized microservice architectures (MSAs) unsuitable. In this paper, we propose a decentralized microservice architecture (DMSA), which delegates scheduling functions from the control plane to edge nodes. DMSA redesigns and implements three core modules of microservice discovery, monitoring, and scheduling for edge networks to achieve precise awareness of instance deployments, low monitoring overhead and measurement errors, and accurate dynamic scheduling, respectively. Particularly, DMSA has customized a microservice scheduling scheme that leverages multi-port listening and zero-copy forwarding to guarantee high data forwarding efficiency. Moreover, a dynamic weighted multi-level load balancing algorithm is proposed to adjust scheduling dynamically with consideration of reliability, priority, and response delay. Finally, we have implemented a physical verification platform for DMSA. Extensive empirical results demonstrate that compared to state-of-the-art and traditional scheduling schemes, DMSA effectively counteracts link failures and network fluctuations, improving the service response delay and execution success rate by approximately $60\% \sim 75\%$ and $10\%\sim15\%$, respectively.

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arXiv2024

VNF Migration with Fast Defragmentation: A GAT-Based Deep Learning Method

Network function virtualization (NFV) enhances service flexibility by decoupling network functions from dedicated hardware. To handle time-varying traffic in NFV network, virtualized network function (VNF) migration has been involved to dynamically adjust resource allocation. However, as network functions diversify, different resource types may be underutilized due to bottlenecks, which can be described as multidimensional resource fragmentation. To address this issue, we firstly define a metric to quantify resource fragmentation in NFV networks. Then, we propose a multi-hop graph attention network (MHGAT) model to effectively extract resource features from tailored network layers, which captures the overall network state and produces high-quality strategies rapidly. Building on this, we develop an MHGAT method to implement fast defragmentation and optimize VNF migration. Simulations demonstrate that by fast defragmentation, the MHGAT method improves the acceptance ratio by an average of 12.8%, reduces the overload ratio by an average of 30.6%, and lowers migration loss by an average of 43.3% compared to the state-of-art benchmark.

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arXiv2024

Statistical QoS Provision in Business-Centric Networks

More refined resource management and Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning is a critical goal of wireless communication technologies. In this paper, we propose a novel Business-Centric Network (BCN) aimed at enabling scalable QoS provisioning, based on a cross-layer framework that captures the relationship between application, transport parameters, and channels. We investigate both continuous flow and event-driven flow models, presenting key QoS metrics such as throughput, delay, and reliability. By jointly considering power and bandwidth allocation, transmission parameters, and AP network topology across layers, we optimize weighted resource efficiency with statistical QoS provisioning. To address the coupling among parameters, we propose a novel deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework, which is Collaborative Optimization among Heterogeneous Actors with Experience Sharing (COHA-ES). Power and sub-channel (SC) Actors representing multiple APs are jointly optimized under the unified guidance of a common critic. Additionally, we introduce a novel multithreaded experience-sharing mechanism to accelerate training and enhance rewards. Extensive comparative experiments validate the effectiveness of our DRL framework in terms of convergence and efficiency. Moreover, comparative analyses demonstrate the comprehensive advantages of the BCN structure in enhancing both spectral and energy efficiency.

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arXiv2024

Joint Beamforming and Power Control for D2D-Assisted Integrated Sensing and Communication Networks

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is an emerging technology in next-generation communication networks. However, the communication performance of the ISAC system may be severely affected by interference from the radar system if the sensing task has demanding performance requirements. In this paper, we exploit device-to-device communication (D2D) to improve system communication capacity. The ISAC system in a single cell D2D assisted-network is investigated, where the base station (BS) performs target sensing and communication with multiple celluar user equipments (CUEs) as well as D2D user equipments (DUEs) simultaneously communicating with other DUEs by multiplexing the same frequency resource. To achieve the optimal communication performance in the D2D-assisted ISAC system, a joint beamforming and power control problem is formulated with the goal to maximize the sum rate of the system while guaranteeing the performance requirements of radar sensing. Due to the non-convexity of the problem, we propose the algorithm to transform the origin problem into a relaxation form and obtain the solution. We also proposed the zero-forcing (ZF) beamforming scheme to acquire the solution that can eliminate the interference of the BS on DUEs. Extensive numerical simulations demonstrated that with the assistance of the D2D communications, our proposed algorithm significantly outperforms the baseline schemes in the system sum rate.

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arXiv2024

Network-Aware Reliability Modeling and Optimization for Microservice Placement

Optimizing microservice placement to enhance the reliability of services is crucial for improving the service level of microservice architecture-based mobile networks and Internet of Things (IoT) networks. Despite extensive research on service reliability, the impact of network load and routing on service reliability remains understudied, leading to suboptimal models and unsatisfactory performance. To address this issue, we propose a novel network-aware service reliability model that effectively captures the correlation between network state changes and reliability. Based on this model, we formulate the microservice placement problem as an integer nonlinear programming problem, aiming to maximize service reliability. Subsequently, a service reliability-aware placement (SRP) algorithm is proposed to solve the problem efficiently. To reduce bandwidth consumption, we further discuss the microservice placement problem with the shared backup path mechanism and propose a placement algorithm based on the SRP algorithm using shared path reliability calculation, known as the SRP-S algorithm. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the SRP algorithm reduces service failures by up to 29% compared to the benchmark algorithms. By introducing the shared backup path mechanism, the SRP-S algorithm reduces bandwidth consumption by up to 62% compared to the SRP algorithm with the fully protected path mechanism. It also reduces service failures by up to 21% compared to the SRP algorithm with the shared backup mechanism.

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arXiv2024

Performance Optimization in RSMA-assisted Uplink xURLLC IIoT Networks with Statistical QoS Provisioning

Industry 5.0 and beyond networks have driven the emergence of numerous mission-critical applications, prompting contemplation of the neXt-generation ultra-reliable low-latency communication (xURLLC). To guarantee low-latency requirements, xURLLC heavily relies on short-blocklength packets with sporadic arrival traffic. As a disruptive multi-access technique, rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) has emerged as a promising avenue to enhance quality of service (QoS) and flexibly manage interference for next-generation communication networks. In this paper, we investigate an innovative RSMA-assisted uplink xURLLC industrial internet-of-things (IIoT) (RSMA-xURLLC-IIoT) network. To unveil reliable insights into the statistical QoS provisioning (SQP) for our proposed network with sporadic arrival traffic, we leverage stochastic network calculus (SNC) to develop a dependable theoretical framework. Building upon this theoretical framework, we formulate the SQP-driven short-packet size maximization problem and the SQP-driven transmit power minimization problem, aiming to guarantee the SQP performance to latency, decoding, and reliability while maximizing the short-packet size and minimizing the transmit power, respectively. By exploiting Monte-Carlo methods, we have thoroughly validated the dependability of the developed theoretical framework. Moreover, through extensive comparison analysis with state-of-the-art multi-access techniques, including non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and orthogonal multiple access (OMA), we have demonstrated the superior performance gains achieved by the proposed RSMA-xURLLC-IIoT networks.

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arXiv2024

Achievable Sum Rate Optimization on NOMA-aided Cell-Free Massive MIMO with Finite Blocklength Coding

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-aided cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CFmMIMO) has been considered as a promising technology to fulfill strict quality of service requirements for ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC). However, finite blocklength coding (FBC) in URLLC makes it challenging to achieve the optimal performance in the NOMA-aided CFmMIMO system. In this paper, we investigate the performance of the NOMA-aided CFmMIMO system with FBC in terms of achievable sum rate (ASR). Firstly, we derive a lower bound (LB) on the ergodic data rate. Then, we formulate an ASR maximization problem by jointly considering power allocation and user equipment (UE) clustering. To tackle such an intractable problem, we decompose it into two sub-problems, i.e., the power allocation problem and the UE clustering problem. A successive convex approximation (SCA) algorithm is proposed to solve the power allocation problem by transforming it into a series of geometric programming problems. Meanwhile, two algorithms based on graph theory are proposed to solve the UE clustering problem by identifying negative loops. Finally, alternative optimization is performed to find the maximum ASR of the NOMA-aided CFmMIMO system with FBC. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms significantly outperform the benchmark algorithms in terms of ASR under various scenarios.

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arXiv2024

Enhancing xURLLC with RSMA-Assisted Massive-MIMO Networks: Performance Analysis and Optimization

Massive interconnection has sparked people's envisioning for next-generation ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (xURLLC), prompting the design of customized next-generation advanced transceivers (NGAT). Rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) has emerged as a pivotal technology for NGAT design, given its robustness to imperfect channel state information (CSI) and resilience to quality of service (QoS). Additionally, xURLLC urgently appeals to large-scale access techniques, thus massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) is anticipated to integrate with RSMA to enhance xURLLC. In this paper, we develop an innovative RSMA-assisted massive-MIMO xURLLC (RSMA-mMIMO-xURLLC) network architecture tailored to accommodate xURLLC's critical QoS constraints in finite blocklength (FBL) regimes. Leveraging uplink pilot training under imperfect CSI at the transmitter, we estimate channel gains and customize linear precoders for efficient downlink short-packet data transmission. Subsequently, we formulate a joint rate-splitting, beamforming, and transmit antenna selection optimization problem to maximize the total effective transmission rate (ETR). Addressing this multi-variable coupled non-convex problem, we decompose it into three corresponding subproblems and propose a low-complexity joint iterative algorithm for efficient optimization. Extensive simulations substantiate that compared with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and space division multiple access (SDMA), the developed architecture improves the total ETR by 15.3% and 41.91%, respectively, as well as accommodates larger-scale access.

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arXiv2023

Towards Decentralized Task Offloading and Resource Allocation in User-Centric Mobile Edge Computing

In the traditional cellular-based mobile edge computing (MEC), users at the edge of the cell are prone to suffer severe inter-cell interference and signal attenuation, leading to low throughput even transmission interruptions. Such edge effect severely obstructs offloading of tasks to MEC servers. To address this issue, we propose user-centric mobile edge computing (UCMEC), a novel MEC architecture integrating user-centric transmission, which can ensure high throughput and reliable communication for task offloading. Then, we formulate an optimization problem with joint consideration of task offloading, power control, and computing resource allocation in UCMEC, aiming at obtaining the optimal performance in terms of long-term average total delay. To solve the intractable problem, we propose two decentralized joint optimization schemes based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) and convex optimization, which consider both cooperation and non-cooperation among network nodes. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed schemes in UCMEC can significantly improve the uplink transmission rate by at most 343.56% and reduce the long-term average total delay by at most 45.57% compared to traditional cellular-based MEC.

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arXiv2023

Cross-Layer Optimization for Statistical QoS Provision in C-RAN with Finite-Length Coding

The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) has become the foundational structure for various emerging communication paradigms, leveraging the flexible deployment of distributed access points (APs) and centralized task processing. In this paper, we propose a cross-layer optimization framework based on a practical finite-length coding communication system in C-RAN, aiming at maximizing bandwidth efficiency while providing statistical quality of service (QoS) for individual services. Based on the theoretical results from effective capacity and finite-length coding, we formulate a joint optimization problem involving modulation and coding schemes (MCS), retransmission count, initial bandwidth allocation and AP selection, which reflects the coordinated decision of parameters across the physical layer, data link layer and transport layer. To tackle such a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem, we firstly decompose it into a transmission parameter decision (TPD) sub-problem and a user association (UA) sub-problem, which can be solved by a binary search-based algorithm and an auction-based algorithm respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model can accurately capture the impact of QoS requirements and channel quality on the optimal transmission parameters. Furthermore, compared with fixed transmission parameter setting, the proposed algorithms achieve the bandwidth efficiency gain up to 27.87% under various traffic and channel scenarios.

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arXiv2023

Power Optimization in Multi-IRS Aided Delay-Constrained IoVT Systems

With the advancement of video sensors in the Internet of Things, Internet of Video Things (IoVT) systems, capable of delivering abundant and diverse information, have been increasingly deployed for various applications. However, the extensive transmission of video data in IoVT poses challenges in terms of delay and power consumption. Intelligent reconfigurable surface (IRS), as an emerging technology, can enhance communication quality and consequently improve system performance by reconfiguring wireless propagation environments. Inspired by this, we propose a multi-IRS aided IoVT system that leverages IRS to enhance communication quality, thereby reducing power consumption while satisfying delay requirements. To fully leverage the benefits of IRS, we jointly optimize power control for IoVT devices and passive beamforming for IRS to minimize long-term total power consumption under delay constraints. To solve this problem, we first utilize Lyapunov optimization to decouple the long-term optimization problem into each time slot. Subsequently, an alternating optimization algorithm employing optimal solution-seeking and fractional programming is proposed to effectively solve the optimization problems at each time slot. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms benchmark algorithms in terms of long-term total power consumption. Moreover, a trade-off between the number of IRS elements and system performance is also proved.

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arXiv2023

On the Distribution of SINR for Cell-Free Massive MIMO Systems

Cell-free (CF) massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) has been considered as a potential technology for Beyond 5G communication systems. However, the performance of CF mMIMO systems has not been well studied. Most existing analytical work on CF mMIMO systems is based on the expected signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). The statistical characteristics of the SINR, which is critical for emerging applications that focus on extreme events, have not been investigated. To address this issue, in this paper, we attempt to obtain the distribution of SINR in CF mMIMO systems. Considering a downlink CF mMIMO system with pilot contamination, we first give the closed-form expression of the SINR. Based on our analytical work on the two components of the SINR, i.e., desired signal and interference-plus-noise, we then derive the probability density function and cumulative distribution function of the SINR under maximum ratio transmission (MRT) and full-pilot zero-forcing (FZF) precoding, respectively. Subsequently, the closed-form expressions for two more sophisticated performance metrics, i.e., achievable rate and outage probability, can be obtained. Finally, we perform Monte Carlo simulations to validate our analytical work. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the derived SINR distribution, achievable rate, and outage probability.

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