Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
I. INTRODUCTION
With rapid development of mobile and wireless
communication technologyies, the future mobile users will use
different access technology such as Ethernet, WLAN,
WiMAX, and UMTS. Hence, it is necessary to solve a variety Figure 1. Coupling ways between UMTS and WLAN networks
of access technologies and the interoperability problems of
inter-networks to achieve the mobility and services continuity. scenario, MIP is used and through Home Agent (HA). Among
However, with the wireless network and IP network are these proposed mobility management solutions, Mobile IPv6
integrated, it is crucial to solve real-time transparency, and (MIPv6) [1] has been widely accepted in the academic world
seamless service for IP users. Among many wireless network and industry as the frontier technology to tackle these
systems, UMTS provides wide network coverage and can challenges.
support high-speed mobility. However, its data transfer rate is To keep the ongoing communications of the mobile node
low and causes high cost, which can not meet the high-speed (MN), MIPv6 hides the network movement from the higher
data transmission requirements; while WLAN supports high- layer. The large handover latency in MIPv6 degrades the QoS
speed data transmission with low cost, but its coverage is of real-time services in heterogeneous networks. The overall
small, which limits the support for mobility. Therefore, UMTS- handover latency in MIPv6 consists of Layer 2(L2) and Layer
WLAN integration can take full advantage of their own 3 (L3) handover latency. The L2 handover latency is the period
strengths to compensate their deficiencies. Thus there is when the MN is disconnected from the air-link of the current
requirement for efficient mechanisms for seamless handover Access Router (AR) till the time it connects to the air-link of
between UMTS-WLAN networks. The mechanism should the new AR [2]. The L3 handover latency comprises the
guarantee the Quality of Service (QoS) of the system, i.e., no latencies incurred during IP layer movement detection, network
disruption in service which can be recognized by users. authentication, CoA configuration, and BU. Currently, there
There are tight coupling and loose coupling mobility are several standard mobility management protocols such as
management solutions, as shown in Figure 1. In the first two Hierarchical Mobile IP (HMIPv6, add Mobility Anchor Point
scenarios, WLAN is connected to the UMTS network through to be responsible for the management in the local
an entity that emulating a BSS and an entity that emulating an management)[3], Fast Handovers for Mobile IPv6 (FMIPv6, A
SGSN, respectively. In the third scenario, a mobility gateway is way of pre-binding process to reduce the required time to
deployed in the operator backbone network which is connected obtain a new IP) [4], and Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6,
to both the WLAN and the GGSN of UMTS. For the last NETLMM, Network-based Localized Mobility Management,
Authorized licensed use limited to: Staffordshire University. Downloaded on March 05,2010 at 02:49:21 EST from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
IETF WG) [5]). Also, there are some schemes introduced
which utilize the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP, use a re-
invite signaling to support mid-call mobility) for support
mobility. All the above schemes focus on L3 with the help of
L2, which can provide much information to support mobility
management at L3 or above. But each protocol deals with
mobility problems by means of depending on the others, thus
leads to unnecessary time delay in the whole handover process.
Furthermore, they do not take the advantages of multiple
network interfaces which are available in recent mobile devices.
To provide enhanced vertical handover mechanisms across
the 802.X and the 3GPP/3GPP2 family of networks, and define
internetworking functionalities, IEEE launched a related
research in January 2003. It sets up a working group which is Figure 2. Media Independent Handover Services Model
devoted to the development of 802.21 standards from January
2004 [6]. In this paper, we propose a new UMTS-WLAN B. Media Independent Information Services
handover mechanism which uses IEEE802.21 Information MIIS provides information about the characteristics and
Services (IS) to tackle the issues related to radio access services of the serving and neighboring networks when the MN
discovery and candidate AR discovery in MIPv6. We also is moving .This information is used to optimize the handover
propose a handover decision algorithm for the handover decision and increase the efficiency of the system. Specific
mechanism. information elements and the necessary query-response
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. In mechanisms are defined in the context of MIIS. MIIS typically
Section II, we introduce the MIH protocol and information provides static link layer parameters such as the names and
services. Proposed architecture and explicit fast seamless providers of the neighboring networks, channel information,
handover procedure are presented in section III. Section IV MAC address and security information. However, dynamic
depicts the simulation results and evaluates the performance of information can be provided as well. These information can be
our mechanism by illustrating the obtained results from the available either through lower layers or upper layers.
Network Simulation Tool. At last, we present conclusion in Information exchange through upper layers takes place when
Section V. the information of the lower layers is not enough in order to
make efficient and optimized handover decision. Hence, in the
FMIPv6, with the help of MIH_Information Request, MN gets
II. 802.21 FRAMEWORK the heterogeneous neighbor information by requesting
Information Elements (IEs) from the IS and the standard of
A. Briefly introduce the MIH Protocol[6]
FMIPv6 RtSolPr/PrRtAdv signaling interaction can be
The core idea of 802.21 is the introduction of a new abolished. In our proposed mechanism, because of the
functional module (Media Independent Handover Function, abolishing, MN reduces the handover latency in the FMIPv6 to
MIHF) which operates between L2 and L3. The MIHF and its speed up configure CoA. It also can reduce the possibility of
relationship with higher and lower layer protocol entities are ping-pong movement [7].
depicted in Figure. 2. MIHFs exist in the terminal and network
equipments, which can define unified service access points
III. PROPOSED MECHANISM USING OPTIMIZED MIH
(MIH_SAP). To the higher floor, through MIH_SAP which is
independent on the access technology, MIHF communicates The considered scenario consists of one WLAN cell located
with various mobile management protocols, such as MIPv6, inside a UMTS cell. It is assumed that one MN (equipped with
SIP; while to the lower floor, MIHF accesses to a variety of multiple interfaces 802.11and UMTS) connects to UMTS
MAC and controls them through different service access points before it traverses the WLAN coverage area. The WLAN
(MIH_LINK_SAP). MIHF mainly offer three types of interface is assumed to be the preferred interface, which means
services: Media Independent Event Service (MIES), Media that if both the WLAN and the UMTS interfaces are available,
Independent Command Service (MICS), and Media the MN is set to use the WLAN interface for its application
Independent Information Service (MIIS). MIES supports local flows. Therefore, the MN performs two handovers in this
or remote clients to obtain event notification, where clients can scenario. The first handover from the UMTS cell to the WLAN
be any protocol or application. For each client (registered user), cell is performed when the MN enters the coverage area of the
it can receive link layer incidents from MIES notification, e.g. WLAN AP. The other handover between the WLAN cell and
Link UP (LUP), Link Down (LD), and Link Going Down the UMTS is performed when the MN leaves the coverage area
(LGD), etc. MICS can allow MIH users to obtain particular of the WLAN AP. Note that when the MN enters the WLAN
information, or send out a command after MIH users have hotspot, it still has a connection through the UMTS interface.
made a decision, e.g. MIH Get Status, and MIH Switch, etc. Therefore, when the association is being established with the
MIIS offers an information repository that can preserve WLAN AP, the MN can still use the UMTS interface for its
relevant information for inquiring purpose. These inquiries can data. When the MN leaves the WLAN cell, the MN cannot use
help the decision algorithm to make accurate decision or the WLAN interface during the time required to redirect the
facilitate handover. data flow on the UMTS interface.
Authorized licensed use limited to: Staffordshire University. Downloaded on March 05,2010 at 02:49:21 EST from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
A. Enhanced Handover from UMTS to WLAN 5) Once the layer 2 handover is established, a Link UP
As it is shown in Figure 3, the detailed signaling flows for indication is generated by the MAC and then sent to the MIHF.
handover from UMTS to WLAN in our proposed mechanism MIH_Handover_Complete request is sent to the target AP to
using optimized MIH are summarized as follows: indicate establishment of new link.
1)First of all, the MIHF in MN which starts in the UMTS 6) After the MN receives Forward response from the target
coverage area subscribes a case so that when there is a new link AP, it redirects the flow on to the WLAN interface.
to access the network, MIHF will be notified. When the MN is
approaching the WLAN hotspot gradually, it receives a beacon B. Handover from WLAN to UMTS
from the AP and explores the change of the bottom of link When the MN is leaving the WLAN hotspot, the MN
information, including the link-speed rate, QoS parameters. anticipates the degradation of signal quality and generates a
The MIHF in the MN receives a corresponding indication from Link _Going _Down event as it gets close to the AP’s coverage
L2. area boundary. The detailed procedures when the MN is
2) The MN interacts with the Information Server to obtain leaving the WLAN hotspot are summarized as follows:
Link layer and network information (L3 information) of the 1) The MN in the WLAN coverage area is moving out. As
neighbor network, and decides the necessity of handover and the MN is approaching the border of the WLAN hotspot, the
which AP to connect. Because of the interaction, the standard MAC generates a Link Going Down event based on the
of FMIPv6, RtSolPr/PrRtAdv signaling interaction can be proposed handover decision algorithm.
abolished.
2) Upon the receipt of the Link_Going_Down event, the
3)Since the WLAN interface is the preferred interface to MIH forwards the information to the Handover module, which
use and choose the best target AP, MN requests a connection to leads to a flow redirection on to the UMTS interface. The
the AP by MIH _ Handover _ Initiate request, and then the UMTS interface is already configured (i.e., there is no need to
UMTS BS forward MIH_Handover_Prepare_Request message discover a default router or to create a new address).
to the target AP in order to inform the AP MN’s forthcoming
handover to its network. If the AP accept the attach request, it C. Proposed Handover Decision Algorithm
will acknowledge.
Based on the above descriptions, MN approaches to WLAN,
4) The MIHF in UMTS sends a MIH _Handover _Initiate_ and discoveries the existence of WLAN through the detection
respond to the MN. This activity triggers the MN to send of link-layer, and MN will start to handover to WLAN until
MIH_Handover_Commit request to MIHF of the target AP and Received Signal Strength gradually increases and exceeds the
start the L2 association stage. At the same time, MN sends threshold; on the contrary, MN discoveries WLAN network
FBU message to start MIP binding update.
Figure 3. The signaling flow for enhanced handover from UMTS to WLAN
Authorized licensed use limited to: Staffordshire University. Downloaded on March 05,2010 at 02:49:21 EST from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
signal strength declined gradually, and will start to trigger
Link_Going_Down Indication case. Thus we design a specific
Trigger decision model as follows: Acess Router(Internet IPv6) CN
The considered scenario for computer simulation consists of Ploss | Pr = ∑ P ( i ) loss / 10 (3)
i =1
a router, a GSN, a HA, a RNC, a 802.11 AP, IS and UMTS
station, as shown in Figure 5. The specific scenario analysis is
based on indoor environment with a non-overlapping WLAN C. Evaluation of the results
As we can see from Figure 6, using our proposed
mechanism under different conditions Thandover are fairly stable
and keep at about 0.17s, which can be used for real-time
services. In our proposed mechanism, because of removing the
DRtSolPr,/DPrRtAdv (RtSolPr/PrRtAdv delay), THI(anticipation
time )is reduced. THI is
Authorized licensed use limited to: Staffordshire University. Downloaded on March 05,2010 at 02:49:21 EST from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
Handover Delay
The Compare of Packet Loss from WLAN TO UMTS
0.175
60
WLAN TO UMTS
WLAN TO UMTS using FMIPv6
UMTS TO WLAN
WLAN TO UMTS using proposed decision
0.17 50
Tdelay/s
0.16 30
0.155 20
1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Pr
10
Figure 6. Handover Delay
0
From Figure.7, when handover from UMTS to WLAN, the 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9
handover causes much less packet loss, as compared with the Pr
Authorized licensed use limited to: Staffordshire University. Downloaded on March 05,2010 at 02:49:21 EST from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.