A Fast Handover Scheme for Wimax System

Xujie Li1,2
1. 2.

Computer and Information Engineering College, Hohai University, Nanjing, China

National Mobile Communications Research Lab., Southeast University, Nanjing, China levels, etc.) or the MS can be serviced with higher QoS at another BS. The impact of handovers between base stations is a serious problem in a mobile communication system that must be addressed. During a handover, packets may be delayed and connections may be dropped. Real-time applications such as VoIP and streaming video can be adversely affected by these delays. So an important objective when designing a handover mechanism is to minimize the time spent in the handover transition to ensure that the MS does not experience service interruption during the handover process. Several handover techniques have been proposed before in the literature [2]--[5]. The technique proposed in [2] requires I. INTRODUCTION adding a new downlink management message in order to minimize the service interruptions experienced by downlink real-time traffic stream. However, the technique does not specify how a target BS is selected. The algorithm proposed in [3] tries to minimize the handover time by selecting one target BS and performing both synchronization and downlink (DL)-MAP, simultaneously. However, this algorithm assumes that the serving and target BS are transmitting on the same RF channel which is not a practical assumption in real wireless networks. The method proposed in [4] considers handover from layer-3 perspective. That is, it mainly considers supporting mobile IP and maintaining IP connections among multiple BSs. The MRU (Most Recently Used Strategy) and MFU (Most Frequently Used Strategy) strategies proposed in paper [5] reduce the time required for scanning operations while a mobile station attempts to establish network connectivity or perform a handover between neighboring base stations. However, the case that the MS is in the different region or at different time is not taken into account. In this paper, we propose a new fast handover scheme. We

Abstract -- In this paper, a new fast handover scheme for Wimax system is proposed. An MS get a handover code and a ranging opportunity allocated by the target BS before the MS executes the handover process. Consequently, it reduces the handover delay and the MS can quickly implement network reentry during the handover process. Meanwhile, the new fast handover scheme can maintain stable data transmission. Numerical results show that the new handover scheme for Wimax system outperforms the conventional handover scheme with respect to the handover delay and system throughput. Index Terms -- handover scheme; handover delay; Wimax system

Wimax (also known as IEEE 802.16) is a wireless digital communications system that is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks" (WMAN). It can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations [1]. When a mobile subscriber station (MS) wishes to access the network, it must follow the network entry procedure. This involves scanning and synchronization to the downlink, obtain downlink parameters, obtain uplink parameters, initial ranging and automatic adjustments, ranging parameter adjustment, negotiate basic capabilities, MS authorization and key exchange, registration, establish IP connectivity. Handover process will happen when the MS moves and needs to change the BS to which it is connected in order to provide a higher signal quality(due to signal fading, interference
This work is supported in part bythe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No.2009B21814), Natural Science Foundation of Hohai university (No.2008428711).

978-1-4244-3709-2/10/$25.00 2010 IEEE

revise several signaling during the handover process in our scheme. It effectively reduces the handover delay. In section II, we describe conventional Wimax system handover procedure. In section III, we propose an improved handover scheme to expedite the handover process. We provide a description of our simulation environment along with our simulation results in Section IV. Finally, section V concludes this paper. II. HANDOVER PROCESS OF WIMAX The handover procedure in Wimax system mainly consists of two parts: network topology acquisition and handover operation.

function. When the serving BSs CINR measurement is below the CINR threshold, the MS calculates the distance to get the nearest BS to scan. It saves the scan time efficiently. Because these scanning and interleaving intervals are repeated alternately for the number of scan iterations specified, this will increase the data transmission time by reducing scan time. Consequently, this can maintain stable data transmission rate during scanning process.

B Association with the target BS.

The MS performs the basic initial ranging process with each target BS during the scanning interval in traditional handover algorithm. In our handover scheme, the MS only associates with the target BS selected based on GPS. The MS can get more detailed and accurate information about the target BS, such as channels information (i.e. DCD and UCD contents), cell load. This can accelerate synchronization to target BS and maintain satisfied QoS during the handover process.

A Network Topology Acquisition

The object of the network topology acquisition is to collect information about a channels description and its physical quality from an MSs neighboring BSs before an actual handover occurs. Information about the network topology is acquired by performing a network topology advertisement process and a scanning process. In addition, the MS can execute an association process during the scanning process, which is an optional initial ranging procedure formed between the MS and a target BS to which the MS wants to connect.

C Ranging code selection

In traditional handover algorithm, the MS and the target BS conduct a handover ranging after the synchronization with the target BS downlink. During the association with target BS, the target BS allocates a dedicated initial ranging transmission opportunity for the MS. The MS can transmit RNG_REQ code selected randomly from handover code pool to the target BS without collision. In the scheme we proposed, after the MS send an MOB_MSHO-RSP message to serving BS, the serving BS informs the target BS the information (including the MS MAC address) over the backbone network. Then the target BS randomly selects a handover code and allocates a ranging opportunity. Thereafter, the target BS informs the serving BS the information about the handover code and ranging opportunity with

B Basic Handover Operation

Handover is essential for supporting MS mobility in mobile cellular environments, and it enables an MS to change its air interface from one BS to another. A basic handover procedure divided into the following procedures: cell reselection, handover decision and initiation, handover cancellation, synchronization to target BS downlink, use of scanning and association results, ranging, termination with the serving BS, drops during handover, and network reentry. III. PROPOSED HANDOVER ALGORITHM

A Target BS selection based on GPS

In traditional handover algorithm, an MS is made aware of the existence of neighboring BSs by reception of the MOB_NBR-ADV message from serving BS, and will scan all neighboring BSs when the serving BSs CINR measurement is below the CINR threshold. In the scheme proposed in this paper, we consider that the MS has GPS

MOB_TBS_HO_CODE message. Meanwhile, the target BS stores the information about the MS MAC address, handover code and ranging opportunity. Consequently, the serving BS send an MOB_HO_CODE_RSP message including the handover code and ranging opportunity information to the MS. After the MS receives the MOB_BSHO-RSP and MOB_HO_CODE_RSP messages,

it

makes

final

HO

decision

and

sends

an

environments and parameters are modified to implement the handover scheme we proposed in this paper. Fig.2 depicts the handover scenario for Wimax system. The red line is the trajectory of the MS.

MOB_HO_IND message. After the synchronization with the target BS downlink, the MS can send a RNG_REQ message including the allocated handover code to implement handover ranging in noncontention-based handover ranging opportunity the target BS allocated. When the target BS receives the RNG_REQ message, it looks for the handover allocation record to get the information (including the MS MAC address, serving BSID, handover code, handover ranging opportunity). Consequently, the target BS send adjust time and power parameters to the MS with RNG_REQ message and continue with regular initial network reentry. The handover procedure is given in Fig.1.

Fig.2. Handover scenario for Wimax system

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Fig.3. Handover delay in Wimax system

handover scheme proposed in our paper conventional handover scheme

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IV. NUMERICAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Simulations are carried out on the OPNET 14.5 [6] platform, with the OPNET Wimax models. Some

Fig.4. Wimax system throughput

Fig.3 shows the handover delay in Wimax system. We compare the conventional handover scheme with the

handover scheme proposed in our paper. We can see that the handover delay in our handover scheme is about 10ms, and its only about 33-50 percent of the handover delay in conventional handover scheme. Thats because that the MS gets a handover code and a ranging opportunity from the target BS before the MS executes the handover process, and it omits the RNG_REQ (code) and RNG_RSP (code) processes in our handover scheme compared with the conventional handover scheme. Consequently, our handover scheme can expedite the handover process and reduce the handover delay. Fig.4 shows that we can get more stable Wimax system throughput in our handover scheme compared with the conventional handover scheme. This is because that the target BS selection based on GPS can saves the scan time efficiently and increase the data transmission time due to reducing the scan time. Meanwhile, less handover delay is benefit to maintaining the stable data transmission. V. CONCLUSTION In this paper, a new fast handover scheme is proposed. The target BS selection based on GPS proposed in this paper can save the scan time efficiently. Meanwhile, we get a handover code and a ranging opportunity from the target BS before the MS executes the handover process so that the MS can implement handover ranging in noncontention-based handover ranging opportunity the target BS allocated. Consequently, it can omit the RNG_REQ (code) and RNG_RSP (code) processes in our handover scheme compared with the conventional handover scheme. These can efficiently reduce the handover delay and maintain stable data transmission. REFERENCES
[1] IEEE 802.16e/D8-2005, "Draft IEEE standard for local and metropolitan area networks - Part 16: Air interface for fixed and mobile broadband wireless access systems," May 2005. [2] S. Choi, G. Hwang, T. Kwon, A. Lim, and D. Cho, Fast handover scheme for real-time downlink services in IEEE 802.16e BWA system, IEEE Computer and Communications Societies Conference (INFOCOM), vol. 3, pp. 985992, April 1995. [3] D. Lee, K. Kyamakya, and J. Umondi, Fast handover algorithm

for IEEE 802.16e broadband wireless access system, IEEE Computer and Communications Societies Conference (INFOCOM), vol. 3, pp. 985992, April 1995. [4] P. Li, X. Yi, and Y. Pan, A seamless handover mechanism for IEEE 802.16e systems, IEEE Computer and Communications Societies Conference (INFOCOM), vol. 3, pp. 985992, April 1995. [5] P. Boone, M. Barbeau, E. Kranakis, Strategies for Fast Scanning and Handovers in WiMax/802.16, International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems (IJCNDS), Vol 1, Issue 4/5/6, pp. 414-432, 2008. [6] OPNET Technologies INC, http://www.opnet.com