Collaborative D2D Pairing in Cache-Enabled Underlay Cellular Networks
Amina Mseddi, Wael Jaafar, Achraf Moussaid, Halima Elbiaze, Wessam Ajib · 2021 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM) · 2021
In this paper, we propose a collaborative smart solution for online traffic offloading among device-to-device (D2D) users underlying a cellular network. Specifically, we investigate the distributed pairing problem between requesting users and caching devices in their vicinity. Given that this problem is NP-hard, we propose a novel multi-agent reinforcement learning approach based on QMIX algorithm, where each requesting user is an agent capable of deciding to which cache device to pair, while respecting the quality-of-service of cellular users. Through simulations, we show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm in achieving D2D pairing. Finally, the impact of several parameters, such as the size of the network, size of files library, and communication requirements, is investigated.