IMT-2000 wireless terminal mobility over object-oriented distributed platforms

Abstract

The international mobile telecommunications systems 2000 (IMT-2000) system is being developed as a solution to the rapid growth and the diversity of mobile services. Concurrently, the telecommunication information networking architecture (TINA) service framework is providing a general software architecture for future telecommunication networks and services, based on the use of distributed object-oriented technology. The TINA service framework appears to complement the IMT-2000 system, by providing an integrated communication and computing infrastructure. Both the IMT-2000 and TINA principles are considered to be determinant for the provision of future services. However, the TINA service framework does not actually incorporate wireless networks. Similarly, the use of object-oriented distributed platforms in TINA, which is seen as a fundamental basis for future service, has not been studied in IMT-2000. This paper first summarizes the principles of the IMT-2000 system and the TINA service framework. It then presents the design and engineering issues of an IMT-2000 terminal mobility service that uses the TINA service framework. It terminates with an initial specification of a mobile object service, and scenarios for the re-use of existing standards. Although, the support of mobility on TINA is still under study in various fora and projects, the technical contents of this paper reflects the original evaluation and synthesis carried out by the authors to provide IMT-2000 wireless mobility on object-oriented distributed platforms such as CORBA and that conforms to the TINA principles.