NetCAPE: Enabling Seamless IMS Service Delivery across Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

An evolving wireless world is constantly providing users with a wider set of access technologies to choose from, each with different capabilities and properties. In this world, IMS as defined by 3GPP provides an enabling, standardized multimedia architecture that is access independent, hence, providing service convergence. This trend is accompanied by an increasing number of multimode terminals so that inter-access- system-service continuity gains relevance. This article presents the architectural framework of NetCAPE (networking context aware policy environment), which addresses the optimization of mobility management in such a heterogeneous environment while interacting with IMS applications to enable seamless service delivery across heterogeneous mobile networks; even as the mobility offered by the underlying network remains transparent to IMS applications. Although the focus is on 3GPP-based mobile networks, the framework also incorporates wired access technologies, hence, taking a further step toward fixed mobile convergence (FMC). First results are presented highlighting the improvements gained by applying NetCAPE concepts.     

Seamless Routing and Cooperative Localization of Multiple Mobile Robots for Search and Rescue Application

In particular, for a practical mobile robot team to perform such a task as that of carrying out a search and rescue mission in a disaster area, the network connectivity and localization have to be guaranteed even in an environment where the network infrastructure is destroyed or a Global Positioning System is unavailable. This paper proposes the new collective intelligence network management architecture of multiple mobile robots supporting seamless network connectivity and cooperative localization. The proposed architecture includes a resource manager that makes the robots move around and not disconnect from the network link by considering the strength of the network signal and link quality. The location manager in the architecture supports localizing robots seamlessly by finding the relative locations of the robots as they move from a global outdoor environment to a local indoor position. The proposed schemes assuring network connectivity and localization were validated through numerical simulations and applied to a search and rescue robot team.     

异构多模终端的接入选择功能架构

不同类型无线网络的融合是宽带无线通信发展的必然趋势。在异构融合网络环境中,无论何种无线网络都能够提供无所不在的最优服务。具有挑战性的问题就是异构多模终端的管理系统和接入选择功能架构的设计。一种异构多模终端管理架构通过与各协议层的有效交互,可以适应多种接入标准与技术的要求,实现多模异构终端的无缝接入和移动。接入选择是核心研究问题之一,接入选择功能架构主要包含3个模块：接入适配、移动管理、用户偏好。     

Completing the convergence puzzle: a survey and a roadmap

Convergence has more than ever been a central issue for fixed and mobile operators throughout the world and is considered to be the next big step in the evolution of telecommunication networks. Convergence opens new market opportunities and competition among network operators and above all offers enhanced user experience. Multimode handsets and the proliferation of terminals and access technologies are generating increasing demands for solutions that enable convergence, seamless handover, and transparent service delivery across heterogeneous access networks. Different strategies are available for operators, depending on the services they intend to deliver to their customers, from basic commercial convergence limited to unified billing for Fixed/Mobile/Internet up to in-dept network convergence covering new applications and services. This article surveys different technologies which offer seamless handover and converged access to mobile voice, video, and data services. It provides first the different network parts involved in defining the operator global convergence strategy and then surveys different technologies which achieve this step-by-step convergence. We present the main features of these technologies and discuss their limitations and potentials to enable convergence in heterogeneous networks. We also provide a personal stance as to the emergence of these technologies and our vision towards the long term converged telecommunication networks.     

End-to-end QoS provisioning in mobile heterogeneous networks

The remarkable advances in information technologies bring a heterogeneous environment for mobile users and service providers. This heterogeneity exists in wireless access technologies, networks, user terminals, applications, service providers, and so on. The ability to provide seamless and adaptive quality of service in such a heterogeneous environment is key to the success of next-generation wireless communications systems. There has been a considerable amount of QoS research recently. However, the main part of this research has been in the context of individual architectural components, and much less progress has been made in addressing the issue of an overall QoS architecture for the mobile Internet. This article first summarizes the state-of-the-art QoS techniques and standardization activities, then examines in detail important challenges in building a ubiquitous QoS framework over the heterogeneous environment, and finally proposes a QoS framework integrating a three-plane network infrastructure and a unified terminal cross-layer adaptation platform to provide seamless support for future applications.     

Experimental demonstration of a distributed ring-based EPON architecture

We experimentally demonstrate error free performance of a simple ring-based Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) architecture that supports truly shared LAN capability among users as well as a fully distributed dynamic bandwidth allocation DBA scheme. The proposed distributed architecture can also be utilized as a packet-based mobile backhaul transport network to backhaul emerging mobile services across the PON-based fiber infrastructure. Utilizing PON access infrastructure as a mobile backhaul enables a seamless migration path to fixed-mobile convergence solutions.     

Vertical Handover Solutions Over LTE-Advanced Wireless Networks: An Overview

The convergence of multitude radio access networks forming a cluster of seamless heterogeneous wireless environment has made the wireless communication industry meet the paradigm of always best connected, where various mobile devices are able to access numerous types of applications and services. However, achieving such landmarks could not be possible without difficulties which this paper tries to highlight some of the technical challenges underlying seamless vertical handover. It provides a general overview of the mobility management process including a brief on multi-homing mobility protocol and focuses on vertical handover decision making techniques, hi ghlighting some radio interface standar and analysed some handover approaches. The paper proposes fast intelligent inter-layer network selection as a new handover approach to select the best network among the candidate networks, where Quality of Service, handover delay and improved data bit rates are set to be achieved.     

Automatic Multi-Interface Management Through Profile Handling

In the recent years, wireless communication systems have received increased interest in commercial applications. Different kind of wireless public access have become increasingly available in various areas like airports, stations and shopping centers as well as at office or at home. Mobile terminals, such as phones or laptops, are often equipped with several network interfaces and may use simultaneously several access networks. For instance it is nowadays common to have UMTS, WiFi, BlueTooth, and even WiMAX interfaces on a single mobile device. Each of them can be attached to different Internet providers offering seamless connectivity, high-speed multimedia services with different billing models and security levels. In this paper, we focus on an advanced middleware that allows, through a comprehensive profile management, the support of automatic interface configuration and per-flow interface selection.The system takes into account preferences given by the terminals owner, the users and the applications. This middleware makes the terminal to be always “best” connected and provides service continuity in case of vertical handover. As illustration, we show how the proposed middleware allows cost-effective management of a fleet of terminals.     

Utilization of Location Information in Cognitive Wireless Networks

Location awareness is an essential characteristic of cognitive radios as well as networks. In this article a location awareness engine architecture is proposed for the realization of location awareness in cognitive radios and networks. The proposed architecture consists of location estimation and/or sensing, seamless positioning and interoperability, statistical learning and tracking, security and privacy, mobility management, and location-based applications. However, the focus of this article is on location-based applications where we demonstrate the utilization of location information in cognitive wireless networks by presenting some representative location-assisted network optimization applications such as location-assisted spectrum management, network planning and expansion, and handover. Our study unveils that location information can be used in cognitive wireless networks to optimize network performance. Possible solutions to the implementation issues are proposed, and the remaining open issues are also addressed.     

A service level model and Internet mobility monitor

Mobility is gaining a tremendous interest among Internet users and wireless access networks are increasingly being installed to enable mobile usage. Internet mobility requires solutions to move between access networks with maintained network connectivity. Seamless mobility in turn means that the experience of using a service is unaffected while being mobile. Communication in next generation networks will use multiple access technologies, creating a heterogeneous network environment. Further, roaming between network service providers may take place. To enable mobile nodes to move between access networks within as well as between network service providers with minimal disruption, nodes should be able to maintain multiple active network connections. With the usage of multihomed nodes, seamless mobility can be achieved in already installed infrastructures, not providing mobility support. Mobility in heterogeneous access networks also requires network selections that scale for services. In this article we propose an architecture where application service providers and network service providers define service levels to be used by a mobile node and its user. The user selects a service and the service level from an application service provider. When performing access network selection, information received as part of an application service level will be used to find a network that supports the service required. The performance of available access networks will be monitored and considered when making the decision. Our proposed architecture provides solutions to move flows between interfaces in real-time based on network performance, quality of service signalling to correspondent nodes, and cancellation of flows to give way for more important traffic.     

Software-Defined Mobility Management: Architecture Proposal and Future Directions

A common characteristic for all of the uses in 5G wireless networks is the ubiquity and the almost permanent connection to the mobile network to get access to external applications. This really imposes a challenge in the signaling procedures provided to get track of the user and to guarantee session continuity. The mobility management mechanisms will play a central role in the 5G networks because of the always-on connectivity demand. This article presents a software defined approach to mobility management procedures addressing the present challenges and proposing some future directions for a more efficient service provision and a better usage of the network resources. The feasibility of such a Software-Defined Mobility Management architecture is assessed in a specific test-bed.     

面向5G/B5G的智能云化网络架构

5G/B5G技术的出现使移动网络的带宽、时延、连接等关键能力得到了极大的提升。面对移动接入侧能力的飞速发展,现有的集中式互联网云服务架构容易出现瓶颈,无法充分发挥 5G/B5G 的性能优势。网络5.0技术的提出,旨在通过一套完整的创新协议体系及控制管理架构,应对未来典型网络应用对数据网络的需求。基于网络5.0协议体系,提出一种新型的智能云化网络,通过云网深度融合,弥补互联网服务模型与5G/B5G接入能力之间的差距,推动网络持续演进发展。     

Overview of mobile WiMAX technology and evolution

Mobile WiMAX is a fast growing broadband access technology that enables low-cost mobile Internet applications, and realizes the convergence of mobile and fixed broadband access in a single air interface and network architecture. Mobile WiMAX combines OFDMA and advanced MIMO schemes along with flexible bandwidth and fast link adaptation, creating a highly efficient air interface that exceeds the capacity of existing and evolving 3G radio access networks. WiMAX networks, built on all-IP network architecture for plug and play network deployments, can support a mix of different usage and service models. While some consider mobile WiMAX as a candidate for the fourth generation of mobile networks, others view it as the first generation of mobile Internet technologies emerging from a wider ecosystem targeting to extend the success of WiFi over wide area networks supporting mobility. This article provides a high-level overview of mobile WiMAX technology and its evolution roadmap from both radio and network perspectives.     

异构无线网络垂直切换技术综述

垂直切换是多网融合的基础,是实现异构网络互通、支持不同接入方式无缝衔接的核心技术,目前正在受到业界的重点关注,并成为学术界研究的热点问题。随着无线移动通信技术向接入多元化、网络一体化和应用综合化的方向发展,各种蜂窝移动接入、宽带无线接入和固定接入将共同接入基于IP的统一核心网络,通过网络间的垂直切换,支持用户的移动性和移动过程中业务的连续性。首先给出了垂直切换的定义和基本概念,介绍了垂直切换的分类和基本流程,随后详细论述垂直切换的切换判决和切换执行2个环节。针对切换判决,总结了现有判决算法,重点评述各代表算法工作原理并剖析论其特点和存在的不足。针对切换执行,详述了现有垂直切换执行机制的工作原理和适用场景,并分析其优缺点。最后,对未来垂直切换技术的研究方向进行了展望。     

Efficient mobility management for vertical handoff between WWAN and WLAN

As we move toward next-generation all-IP wireless networks, we are facing the integration of heterogeneous networks, such as WWAN and WLAN, where vertical handoff is required. In vertical handoff between WWAN and WLAN, mobile hosts should be able to move freely across different networks while satisfying QoS requirements for a variety of applications. In order to achieve seamless handoff and maintain continuity of connection, we propose a novel mobility. management system that integrates a connection manager to detect network condition changes in a timely and accurate manner, and a virtual connectivity manager that uses an end-to-end principle to maintain a connection without additional network infrastructure support. A prototype system was built to test the effectiveness of the proposed system. Experiments show that seamless roaming between WLAN and WWAN can be achieved, and much better performance can be obtained than with the traditional scheme.     

Dynamic inter-domain MDS approach with secure seamless handover based on IEEE 802.21 MIH

The accessibility of available wireless access technologies with increasing demand for real time multimedia application becomes an essential part for mobile communication. Mobile users resourcefully utilize the heterogeneous environment for best quality of service (Qos) anywhere and anytime. Efficient handover optimization and intelligent mobility management is a key requirement for designing next generation wireless networks. Therefore, a novel IEEE 802.21 media independent handover (MIH) standard is adopted to provide an associated service for intelligent handover procedures. In addition, dynamic mobility management decision server (MDS) and IEEE 802.21a security extension for MIH services are also integrated in the proposed architectures to support fast, seamless and secure handover optimization in inter-domain mobility. Simulation results prove that the presented work resourcefully minimizes the packet loss, unnecessary handover probability and vertical handover delay by avoiding time consuming scanning process for target network discovery. The system thus achieves Qos guarantee by balancing the network load and throughput improvement for different applications with Proxy MIPv6 mobility management protocol.     

AAA authentication for network mobility

Network mobility (NEMO) is a protocol proposed for the mobility management of a whole network.It offers seamless Internet connectivity to the mobile end users.However,the NEMO protocol has not been wid...     

Provision of quality of service in wireless fourth generation networks

A key word describing next generation wireless networks is ‘seamless’. Wireless fourth generation (4G) networks represent a set of new technologies that will enable seamless integration of various wireless access systems, while targeting to support various sophisticated and quality of service constraining applications, such as high‐speed data services and multimedia services. This paper first proposes an architecture for 4G networks. The most significant feature of this architecture is its flexibility, openness and ability to enable seamless handoff in a single logical overlay network composed of many heterogeneous access networks. A medium access control (MAC) protocol for basic access networks is then introduced. A generic scheduling scheme, named CS‐EDF (channel state‐earliest deadline first) and the details of an efficient handoff management method are also briefly introduced. The bandwidth utilization, handoff resources reservation, and scheduling scheme performances of the proposed schemes are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality of Service in Mobile and Wireless Networks: The Need for Proactive and Adaptive Applications

Although there are already many fixed networked computers around the world, we will see several orders of magnitude more wireless and mobile devices connected to the Internet. Each car, truck, aircraft, but also many people will carry a plethora of different devices for communication. However, all mobile and wireless systems have in common that the quality of their connectivity may change rapidly over time. Still, users want to get the best quality possible or the quality they pay for respectively. In this paper we describe the implementation of adaptive and proactive applications that are supported by our architecture. The user can express his or her preference by simply clicking on a Q(uality)-button; the process of adaptation is performed without any user interaction. Feedback loops connecting applications, operating system, and network system realize the adaptation. We show how our architecture supports traditional adaptive applications and demonstrate the benefits of proactive applications in wireless and mobile environments.