Multidimensional Benchmarking Framework for AQMs of Network Congestion Control Based on AHP and Group-TOPSIS

This paper aims to propose a grouping framework for benchmarking the active queue management (AQM) methods of network congestion control based on multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques to assist developers of AQM methods in selecting the best AQM method. Given the current rapid development of the AQM techniques, determining which of these algorithms is better than the other is difficult because each algorithm performs better in a specific metric(s). Current benchmarking studies benchmark the AQM methods from a single incomplete prospective. In each proposed AQM method, the benchmarking was achieved with reference to some evaluation measures that are relatively close to the desired goal being followed during the development of the AQM methods. Furthermore, the benchmarking frameworks of AQM methods are complicated and challenging because of the following reasons: (1) the technical details of the AQM methods are adapted and the input parameters are selected according to the sensitivity of the AQM methods; and (2) a framework is developed and designed for simulating AQM methods, the simulated network and the collected results. For this purpose, a set of criteria for AQM comparison are determined. These criteria are performance, processing overhead and configuration. The benchmarking framework is developed based on the crossover of three groups of multi-evaluation criteria and several AQM methods as a proof of concept. The AQM families that are implemented and utilized in experiments to generate the data that are used as a proof of concept of our proposed framework are the parameter-based (pars) and fuzzy-based AQM methods. Accordingly, constructing the decision matrix (DM) that will be used to generate the final results is necessary. Subsequently, the underlying AQM methods are benchmarked and ranked using MCDM techniques, namely, integrated analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The validation was performed objectively. The mean±standard deviation was computed to ensure that the AQM methods ranking undergo systematic ranking. Results illustrate that (1) the integration of AHP and TOPSIS solves the AQM method benchmarking problems; (2) results of the individual TOPSIS context clearly show variances among the ranking results of the six experts; (3) the ranks of the AQM methods obtained from internal and external TOPSIS group decision-making are nearly similar, with random early detection method being ranked as the best one; and (4) in the objective validation, significant differences were found between the groups’ scores, thereby indicating that the ranking results of internal and external TOPSIS group decision-making were valid.