On Maximizing the Probability of Achieving Deadlines in Communication Networks

We consider the problem of meeting deadline constraints in wireless communication networks. Fulfilling deadlines depends heavily on the routing algorithm used. We study this dependence generically for a broad class of routing algorithms. For analyzing the impact of routing decisions on deadline fulfillment, we adopt a stochastic model from operations research to capture the source-to-destination delay distribution and the corresponding probability of successfully delivering data before a given deadline. Based on this model, we propose a decentralized algorithm that operates locally at each node and exchanges information solely with direct neighbors in order to determine the probabilities of achieving deadlines. A modified version of the algorithm also improves routing tables iteratively to progressively increase the deadline achievement probabilities. This modified algorithm is shown to deliver routing tables that maximize the deadline achievement probabilities for all nodes in a given network. We tested the approach by simulation and compared it with routing strategies based on established metrics, specifically the average delay, minimum hop count, and expected transmission count. Our evaluations encompass different channel quality and small-scale fading conditions, as well as various traffic load scenarios. Notably, our solution consistently outperforms the other approaches in all tested scenarios.