Media Independent Handover Framework Research Articles

Cross layer architecture with integrated MIH in heterogeneous wireless networks

Progress in new radio technologies and raise in users’ demands are motivating the deployment of a wide array of wireless networks, ranging from Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), to fifth generation (5G). These heterogeneous Radio Access Technologies (RATs) are expected to be integrated together to provide mobile users QoS guarantees. Heterogeneous Wireless Networks (HWNs) provide an opportunity for developers to design efficient framework to satisfy stringent QoS requirement. This integration of different networks results in performance degradation when handovers occur during a mobility event. As a result, the effective mobility management protocols are required to support ubiquitous network access by providing seamless handover. In IEEE 802.21 standard, the framework Media Independent Handover (MIH) is proposed to facilitate handover in heterogeneous networks with measurements and triggers from link layers. This article emphasizes in relationship between the MIH framework and different modules in the MAC layer. In order to guarantee the QoS for different service flows with diverse QoS requirements, we propose to design new cross-layer based designs architecture to provide a combined solution for vertical and horizontal handover based on IEEE 802.21 MIH. We propose new modules in different layers and new primitives to facilitate the communication. Conducted simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. We evaluate the proposed architecture using a scheduling algorithm which improves system performance as shown by the results presented of a comparative analysis with the NSA (New Scheduling Algorithm) and EDF (Earliest Deadline First) schemes.

A Proactive Fuzzy-Guided Link Labeling Algorithm Based on MIH Framework in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Future wireless networks aim to provide a seamless connectivity among different communication networks, while offering a rich range of services with variable bandwidth and quality of service anytime and anywhere. Media independent handover (MIH) represents a successful deployment method towards the integration between heterogeneous wireless networks. It can provide the information about the parameters that affect on the events generation. An efficient system that generates links trigger mechanism will extensively impact the handover performance. This paper proposes a proactive fuzzy-guided algorithm with dynamic links triggering for vertical handover initiation based on the neighbor network information from the information server of MIH. The result shows that the proposed solution can avoid unnecessary handover and service interruption in the heterogeneous wireless network.

A power-efficient vertical handover with MIH-based network scanning through consistency check

We propose an power-efficient scanning scheme considering the consistency of the Information Element (IE) for the Media Independent Handover (MIH) based Vertical Handover. Since the Green IT is one of the key issues of the science, we suggested the power saving scheme by extending the information and the event service of the MIH framework to reduce the number of full scanning. We proposed the criteria to select the update MT to quantify the power consumption alongside various network scanning methods. Since the frequent and multiple network scanning incurred by small mobile terminals (MT) is considerable, the scanning avoidance is essential for the framework we suggest. The MIH Information Service (MIIS) provides many usable factors and features for the scanning avoidance. However, because of the absence of the criteria to select the update node, these values are not actually usable. Therefore, we suggest an Energy Efficient Function, which tests the validity of MIIS values and makes a decision on whether to avoid the scanning or not.

A Scalability and Performance Analysis of Preauthentication Algorithms for Wireless Networks

Secure wireless networks strive to maintain continuity of service while its subscribers move among fixed access points. In vehicular networks, handovers may happen rapidly, and the service continuity from Mobile IPv6 services provides a distinct advantage. Unfortunately, the requirement to authenticate each subscriber as it is passed to each new access point results in a time delay that translates into breaks in connectivity and undesirable retransmission of packets. To provide continuity of service in secure wireless networks, preauthentication algorithms have been proposed that accomplish the authentication process before the user is officially serviced by the access point. We are particularly interested in preauthentication algorithms that efficiently provide preauthentication to likely “next” access points. This paper compares the performance of three different preauthentication algorithms integrated into Fast Mobile IPv6 using signals from the IEEE 802.21 media independent handover framework. Through analysis and simulation, we compare different alternative preauthentication options using four measures of effectiveness as the basis of comparison.

Context-Aware Handover Decision in an Enhanced Media Independent Handover Framework

Recent developments in heterogeneous mobile networks emphasize the necessity of more intelligent and context-aware handover decisions. However, the complexity and overhead of collecting and managing context information are the main difficulties in context-aware handovers. Media independent handover (MIH) framework which has been proposed by IEEE 802.21 only provides static context of access networks through its information service. This paper elaborates the idea of handoff-aware network context gathering for renewal of dynamic context in MIH information server. An extension is proposed on MIH framework to efficiently accommodate the dynamic context of access networks along with the ordinary static context in IS. The paper presents analytical evaluation of the proposed context gathering method in terms of context access latency and signalling overhead. Also, the paper presents a policy-based context-aware handover model based on the proposed extension. A well defined policy format is proposed for straight description of users’, devices’, and applications’ preferences and requirements. In contrast to traditional policy-based methods, a multi-policy scheme is proposed that exploits rank aggregation methods to employ a set of matching policies in target point of attachment selection. Simulations have been carried out in NS2 to verify the performance of the proposed context gathering method and the proposed handover decision model. Simulation results show better performance in terms of evaluation metrics.

H.264/SVC vs. H.264/AVC video quality comparison under QoE-driven seamless handoff

This paper studies the impact of mobility management and seamless handover mechanisms on the perceived quality of video streaming applications. A seamless handoff scheme is proposed that incorporates IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handover framework and a QoE-driven rate adaptation scheme, for both scalable and single layer coding. Quality of Experience (QoE) has been considered as an important parameter for network selection. The proposed scheme has been implemented and evaluated in a real test-bed network. Objective and subjective quality evaluation measurements for both H.264/AVC and H.264/SVC have been carried out. Through experimentation, QoE driven mobility of video streaming can be better maintained with H.264/SVC under the combined seamless handoff and rate adaptation functionality.

A middleware architecture supporting seamless and secure multimedia services across an intertechnology radio access network

This article presents a middleware architecture to support multimedia services across intertechnology radio access networks in a secure and seamless manner. The proposed architecture uses the media-independent handover framework, where the handover decision function is based on triggering/collecting statistics from the physical, network, and application layers so that an ongoing multimedia session (video) can be transferred seamlessly and securely (using context transfer) across intertechnology radio access networks. Simulation results show that when a vertical handover is based on the proposed MIH framework (including the context transfer of AAA information), handover latency is reduced by 38 percent during WiFi to UMTS handover and 20 percent during UMTS to WiFi handover compared to a non-MIH-based handover scheme.

Handover Management in Enhanced MIH Framework for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks Environment

Vertical handover decision making is one of the key problems in heterogeneous networks environment. In IEEE 802.21 standard, a Media Independent Handover (MIH) framework is proposed to improve user experience of mobile devices by facilitating handover in heterogeneous networks with measurements and triggers from link layers. However, vertical handover decision making can benefit from the information more than link layers. In this paper, an Enhanced Media Independent Handover (EMIH) framework is proposed by integrating more information from application layers, user context and network context. Given such information, there is also another important problem on how to select a favorite network. Two quite important problems from realistic scenario are as follows: (1) how to make use of partial knowledge due to incomplete value measurement on decision factors; (2) how to deal with robustness problem due to inaccurate measurement on decision factors. In order to tackle these problems, two novel Weighted Markov Chain (WMC) approaches based on rank aggregation are proposed in this paper, in which a favorite network is selected as the top one of rank aggregation result fused from multiple ranking lists based on decision factors. Moreover, an entropy weighting method, combined with WMC approach, is studied. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of these proposed approaches.

Handover management in integrated WLAN and mobile WiMAX networks

Recently there has been much effort, in both academia and industry, to integrate a plethora of wireless technologies in order to provide ubiquitous broadband access to mobile users. Handover management is still one of the most challenging issues to be solved for seamless integration of wireless networks. This article addresses the integration of IEEE 802.11 WLANs and IEEE 802.16 WMANs, focusing mainly on the handover management aspects. First, we describe architectures, futuristic application scenarios such as the envisioned heterogeneous multihop wireless networks (HMWNs) and moving networks, as well as the related research issues. Second, we present IEEE 802.21, a new emerging standard aimed at providing a framework for media-independent handover(MIH) among heterogeneous networks. Finally, we discuss how the MIH framework can help handover management for the integrated network.