Heterogeneous Access Environment Research Articles

Improvements for DMM in SDN and Virtualization Based Mobile Network Architecture

The (r)evolution of wireless access infrastructure can be described as the convergence of the available radio communication systems towards a harmonized, more flexible and reconfigurable access system to match the current and upcoming demands. In recent years Softwarization and Virtualization technologies have moved from server and network domains to wireless domain and provides new perspectives of managing mobile networks functionalities. This paper provides evolution of the mobile network architecture in Software Defined Networking (SDN) and virtualization context and realizes it through the use of distribution of gateway function approach. Key improvements with proposed approach are to support efficient mobility management in heterogeneous access environments, remove the chains of IP preservation and optimal data path management according to application needs. A functional setup validates and assays the proposed evolution in terms of inter-system handover preparation, interruption and completion time relative to control plane delay requirements of the 5G networks.

Ubiquity of Client Access in Heterogeneous Access Environment

With popularization of mobile computing and diverse offer of mobile devices providing functionality comparable to personal computers, the necessity of providing network access for such users cannot be disputed. The requirement is further reinforced by emergence of general purpose mobile operating systems which provide their full functionality only with network connectivity available and popular XaaS (Everything as a Service) approach. In this situation and combined with the fact that most Internet-based services are able to function efficiently even in best effort environment, requirement of ubiquity of network access becomes one of the most important elements of today’s computing environment. This paper presents a general overview of the the vast group of mechanisms and technologies utilized in modern attempts to efficiently provide ubiquity on network access in heterogeneous environment of today’s access systems. It starts with division of users interested in ubiquitous network access into broad groups of common interest, complete with their basic requirements and access characteristics, followed by a survey of both already popular and new wireless technologies suitable to provide such access. Then a general discussion of most important challenges which must be addressed while attempting to fulfill the above goal is provided, addressing topics such as handover control and mobility management.

Multifunctional Optical Interface for Fiber-Radio Systems in Heterogeneous Access Networks

In this paper, we investigate through simulation a proposed multi-functional optical interface incorporating an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) that multiplexes multiple wavelength-interleaved dense-wavelength-division-multiplexed (DWDM) optical RF channels while simultaneously reducing intermodulation distortion (IMD) in fiber-radio systems incorporating optical single sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) modulation. The proposed optical interface is also able to simultaneously support multiple baseband transmission in an integrated wireless/wired heterogeneous access environment. We derive an analytical model and present a detailed analysis of the proposed interface to establish the viability of its operation and quantify performance limitations. Our results show that the proposed scheme is not dependent on the inherent characteristics of the optical carrier and a maximum IMD suppression of >9 dB can be achieved. The proposed interface was also investigated via simulation for a larger number of DWDM channels to establish the viability and subsequently quantify the overall performance of a heterogeneous millimeter-wave fiber-radio system with other wired-access infrastructure.

An efficient wireless network discovery scheme for heterogeneous access environments

PurposeSeveral new network types have emerged over the last couple of years. Many of these networks are being connected together to provide mobile users with the capability of staying always connected to the Internet which requires seamless transitions from one network to another without causing interruption to on‐going connections. To maintain connectivity during handoff, all the networks that are accessible to the mobile station need to be known. The paper aims to propose a novel energy‐efficient network discovery approach that enables fast discovery and selection of available access networks.Design/methodology/approachThe performance of the proposed approach over an actual network testbed consisting of heterogeneous networks (such as wireless local area, cellular) is evaluated.FindingsIt was found that the approach yields between 12.4 and 19.1 per cent improvement in battery power consumption over other network discovery approaches.Originality/valueThe paper proposes and implements a novel scheme to discover wireless networks in a multi‐access environment consisting of heterogeneous networking technologies.