Chapter 10

Handoff in mobile &

wireless network

Introduction
When mobile user moves from one AP to another,
handoff is required.
To minimize interruption of cell transport, efficient
switching of active VC (Virtual Circuit) from old data path
to the new data path is needed.
The switching should be fast enough to make the new
VCs available to mobile users.
During handoff, old path is released then new path
established.

Signaling handoff protocol in

WATM network
Signaling is a problem area in WATM.
Possible solution, integration of the required mobility
extension with the standard signaling protocols.
Protocol stack that includes mobility function for handoff : MMC Mobility Management and Control
RRM Radio Resources Manager
SAAL Signaling ATM adaptation layer
CCS Call control and signaling
UNI User network interface

Signaling handoff protocol in

WATM network
WMAC Wireless medium access control
S-channels Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVC)
intended for standard signal
M-channels PVCs intended for mobility signaling
U-plane User plane

Signaling handoff protocol in

WATM network

Protocol stacks

Signaling handoff protocol in

WATM network
CS_MMC module is responsible for handling all mobility
related procedures.
CS_MMC task : Establishment of M-channels through which the
mobility-related messages are exchanged
Coordination of wireless and fixed resources, during
the execution of mobility and standard signaling
procedures.
Switching signaling and data connections whenever
an MT crosses the boundaries of a cell
The updating of the location of an MT in the CSUhosted DB.

Signaling handoff protocol in

WATM network
Smoothness of handoff depends : The number of connections requiring handoff
Time between initiation of a handoff and loss of
contact with previous AP/BS.

Crossover switch discovery

Basic step to most handoff scheme.
COS is an intermediate switch along the current path of
a connection that has nonoverlapping path to both
current or next AP/BS.
Selecting COS for connection can be initiated at the
previous or next AP/BS.
COS selected, appropriate resources for the connection
are procured along the new subpath (between COS and
the new AP)

Crossover switch discovery

After the COS start forwarding packets onto the new
subpath, the existing subpath to the previous AP is torn
down.
Handoff process complete.
Several factors to select particular switch as COS : Switch capability
Selection policy
New access point
Previous path.

Crossover switch discovery

Crossover
switch-based
rerouting during
handoff

Rerouting methods
Important concerns in performing connection rerouting : Limiting handoff latency
Maintaining an efficient route
Limiting disruption of continuous media traffic
Limiting network switch update rates due to rerouting.
Handoff scheme in WATM : Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC)
Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC)

Rerouting methods
General approaches toward connection rerouting : Optimistic handoff approach
Ordered handoff approach
Predictive handoff approach
Chaining handoff approach
Goal of Optimistic handoff scheme To perform simple
and fast handoffs with the optimistic view that disruption
to user traffic will be minimal.
COS simply reroutes data traffic trough a different path
to the new BS with the connection from the source to the
COS remaining unmodified.

Rerouting methods
Goal of Ordered handoff scheme Provide ordered
lossless data delivery during handoffs.
Predictive approach Predict next BS of the mobile
endpoint and perform advance multicasting of data to the
BS.

Scheduled-Assisted handoffs
MMUP Mobile Multi-User Platform.
Schedule provides the MMUP with information about the
upcoming cell in advance of its intercell moves.
MMUP close enough to the next AP for the
mechanism to be triggered, it initiates a COS
discovery for some or all existing connection (or
group) through the current AP.
Connections are maintained if the call proceeding
sends signaling to the next AP until the MMUP
establishes contact with it, upon which all pending
connection request are forwarded onto the MMUP.

Scheduled-Assisted handoffs
After MMUP confirms successful reestablishment of
the connections, the COS begins switching data
along the new path and initiates tear down of the old
subpath.

Handoff in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Satellite networks
Using Footprint Handover Rerouting Protocol (FHRP).
Two phases : Augmentation
Footprint rerouting (FR)
Augmentation phase
Direct link from the new end satellite to the existing
connection routes is found
Route can be updated with minimum signaling delay
and at low signaling cost.

Handoff in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Satellite networks
FR phase
Connection route is migrated to a route that has the
same optimality feature with the original route
The goal of rerouting is to establish an optimum route
without applying the optimum routing algorithm after a
number of handovers.
The optimality of the original route is maintained after
FR phase.

Predictive Reservation Policy

(PRP)
PRP Consist in dynamically reserving channels when
number of communications in progress grows in a given
cell.
Reserve resources that will be freed when the flow is
less important.
Dynamically reserves radio resources according to the
local topology.

Chaining approaches
The basic idea to extend the connection from the old to
the new BSs, somewhat like a chain.
Two type : Hop-limited handoff scheme
Chaining followed by make-break
Hop-limited handoff scheme PVC-based scheme.
BS in each cell is connected to neighboring cells by a
number of PVCs.
The number of successive traffic path elongations by
PVCs connecting neighboring cells is restricted to less
than predetermined numbers.

Chaining approaches
If the number is reached, the traffic path is rerouted by
the network to the PVC between the network and the
new cell.
Reduce the required number of PVCs between
neighboring cell
Increase traffic path efficiency.
Keeps the networking processing load light.

Chaining approaches

Chaining followed by make-break

1. The mobile host sends a handoff request message
to the new BS, identifying the old BS and its
connection server
2. The new BS adds local translation table entries for
its internal routing
3. The new BS asks the old BS to forward packets
pertaining to the mobile host
4. The new BS sends back a handoff response
message to mobile host, instructing the mobile host
to transmit/receive through the new station

Chaining approaches
5. The new BS passes the updated route information to
the connection server
6. The connection server performs necessary QoS
computations on the new route.
7. The connection server identifies the best route to the
COS, allocate resources along the new route, and
sets up the new routing entry in COS. The switch
now multicasts cells received from the source to
both the BSs

Chaining approaches
8. The connection server informs the new BS of the
completion of route change, which then starts using
the new route
9. The connection server exchanges messages with
ATM switch, tearing down the old routing entry. The
connection server also requests the old and the new
BSs and switches in the old route to deallocate the
old resources.

Chaining approaches

Connection
management
architecture