Nouri Omheni

A novel vertical handoff decision making algorithm across Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Heterogeneous Wireless Networks communication is a combination of various heterogeneous networks. With their complementary characteristics, incorporation of these technologies in the same network in order to provide a full coverage to mobile users causes several challenges such as handover decision making and mobility management. A good handoff decision should avoid unnecessary handovers, which increase the computational network load. In this paper, we present a novel approach for Handover decision making in the context of heterogeneous wireless network. The aim of the proposed scheme is the selection of the most suitable radio access network for each application. Simulation results show that the proposed approach can guarantee QoS requirements and reduce the blocking probability of new and handoff calls.

A novel media independent handover-based approach for vertical handover over heterogeneous wireless networks

The key purpose for seamless mobility and service continuity between heterogeneous wireless networks is the handover. Vertical handover management is one of key challenges in such environment. To deal with some of these challenges, an IEEE 802.21 media independent handover MIH framework has been standardized. The main purpose of this standard is to offer a general interface for the handover by abstracting the link layer intelligence to higher layers. However, there still exist a number of limitations in MIH architecture. In this paper, a new architecture of improved MIH is presented to perform vertical handover between wireless heterogeneous networks. We focused on interworking architecture between wireless local area network and long term evolution advanced network with the use of MIH signaling to define an efficient vertical handover. A performance analysis model for the proposed MIH-based vertical handover is derived. Analysis results show that the proposed method can be easily deployed in present multimedia service networks. Copyright

A MIH-based approach for best network selection in heterogeneous wireless networks

Abstract In the next generation wireless networks, different technologies belonging to one or more operators should be integrated to form a heterogeneous environment based on an IP core network infrastructure. This ensures user mobility and service continuity by maintaining connections when switching between various technologies and it introduces new resources and possibilities for applications. In this context, an automatic interface selection based on instantaneous and practical constraints and user preferences (Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, available resources, security, power consumption, etc.) is therefore required. The different network selection and handover schemes proposed in the literature can be classified into three approaches according to who is responsible for making the handover decision: the terminal, the network or by a cooperation between both of them. However, these approaches keep presenting some drawbacks; namely the problem of resources management and network load balancing whenever the selection is controlled by the mobile terminal (MT) and the problem of scalability and unknown operators management policy whenever the selection is rather controlled by the network. In this article, first we propose a MIH based approach for handover initiation and preparation for heterogeneous wireless network. The proposed framework is based on the principals of IEEE 802.21 for context information gathering and optimized handover decision making. Second, we propose a new architecture and new network selection scheme that explicitly take into account the current resource usage and the user preferences. Furthermore, our solution ensures the selection of the most suitable network for each flow while taking into consideration its expectations in terms of QoS. A feasibility study of implementing a new architecture on a single MT is evaluated by using typical scenarios and using various algorithms. Thanks to the introduced function entities and modules in the proposed architecture, network utilization balancing and user and application expectations, which are successfully assured without operator intervention. Performance analysis shows that the proposed algorithm best meets the common quality requirements.

Enhanced handover architecture in IEEE 802.21-enabled heterogeneous wireless networks

Vertical handover management is one of key challenges in heterogeneous network environment. In order to address some of these challenges, an IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handover framework is standardized. The main objective of this standard is to provide a general interface for the handover by abstracting the link layer intelligence to higher layers. However, there still exist a number of limitations in MIH architecture. In this paper a new architecture of improved media independent handover is presented to perform vertical handover between wireless heterogeneous networks. An example of interworking architecture between WLAN and LTE Advanced Network is discussed using the proposed scheme.

Optimized MIH-assisted P-NEMO design for vertical handover over heterogeneous network mobility

The vital trend inside wireless networks is the heterogeneity of access technology. Vertical handover management is one of key challenges in such environment to ensure seamless mobility and service continuity especially in the case of network mobility. To deal with some of these challenges, numerous efforts were made in the context of standards and scientific research to perform the vertical handover process such as the IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handover framework and the Network Mobility Basic Support Protocol. However, these optimizations stay insufficient to solve all issues. This paper proposes new mobility management framework in the case of Network Mobility handover. The proposed scheme is based on the principal concepts of IEEE 802.21 for context information gathering and optimized handover decision making. Also, a Modified P-NEMO for the handover execution phase is suggested to overcome the dependence of standardizations on the NEMO application deployment and the infrastructure network. Detailed simulations show that our proposed framework provides less complexity and better performance for enhancing vertical handover.

Call admission control and adaptive bandwidth management approach for HWNs

Call admission control mechanisms play an important role in heterogeneous wireless networks where different radio access technologies will coexist to grant Quality of Service (QoS) in a network. They are used to decide whether or not an incoming service request will be accepted according to an admission constraint as well as determining in which radio access technology among the available it will be connected. In this paper, we propose an adaptive bandwidth management and call admission control scheme for heterogeneous wireless networks. The proposed scheme takes into account the separation between the incoming traffic for each class and prioritizes handoff calls over the new calls. The objectives of the proposed adaptive CAC approach are to guarantee QoS requirements of all accepted calls, reduce new call blocking probability and handoff call dropping probability and maintain efficient resource utilization.

Efficient Mac Layer handoff management scheme for Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) have received much attention in recent years thanks to their desirable features such as its capability of enhancing coverage with low transmission power. A WMN is dynamically self-organized and self-configured, with the nodes in the network automatically establishing and maintaining mesh connectivity among themselves. Mobility management, with provisioning of Quality of Service guarantees to mobile stations (MSs), is one of the key topics in these networks. This paper proposes efficient Mac Layer handoff management scheme for WMNs. First, we describe a new approach to reduce discovery delay based on handoff prediction when MSs roam across different Wireless Mesh Routers (WMRs). Then we develop a new algorithm to select the optimal target WMR using the minimum airtime cost as metric. The simulation results show that our design may achieve better performance in terms of discovery delay and network throughput.

Smart mobility management in 5G Heterogeneous Networks

Mobility management has always been a challenging and important issue for the next-generation all-IP mobile networks. Seamless mobility is one of the requirements to provide real-time services in such networks. Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) has been developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a network-based mobility management protocol to support the mobility of IP devices. Although several designs have been presented in the literature to reduce the amount of PMIPv6 signalling and latency handover, they do not satisfy the real-time application requirements. In this study, the authors first propose a novel vertical handover algorithm that helps to anticipate the handover process in an efficient manner. The suggested approach is based on PMIPv6 and IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handover (MIH) standard. The authors also added a new MIH primitive in order to indicate that a handover is needed to be done very soon. The triggering of such process is done thanks to two proposed dynamic thresholds. According to the analytical evaluation and simulation results, the proposed method guarantees a significant reduction of the handover delay and the signalling overhead, handover blocking probability and packet loss.

New Approach for Mobility Management in Openflow/Software-Defined Networks.

The Software-Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm predicts that the evolution of cellular and wireless networks will bring a considerable increase of two factors, the densification of the Radio Access Network (RAN) part and the progressive demand for traffic. This rapid evolution has led to the emergence of extremely complicated systems, where a large number of logic modules must interact to lead to the desired behavior and the desired quality of service. The key advantage of SDNs is the simplicity of networking and the deployment of new mechanisms and applications. Furthermore, the programmable aspect on the traffic and devices in SDNs makes them more efficient and flexible than traditional networks. In this context, Distributed Mobility Management (DMM) has been recently presented as a new trend to solve the issues of the today’s mobility management protocols. In this paper, we propose a partially distributed Mobility Management for OpenFlow/SDN networks. According to simulation results, our approach guarantees a significant reduction of the number of handover and the signaling cost.

An enhanced radio resource management based MIH policies in heterogeneous wireless networks

The require of omnipresent wireless access and high data rate services are expected to increase extensively in the near future. In this context, heterogeneous networks, which are a mixture of different wireless technologies (LTE-advanced, LTE-advanced Pro, C-IoT (Cellular Internet of Thing), 5G WiFi, etc) are invited to enable important capabilities, such as high data rates, low latencies and efficient resource utilization in order to provide dedicated capacity to offices, homes, and urban hotspots. Mixing these technologies in the same system, with their complementary characteristics, to afford a complete coverage to users can cause various challenges such as seamless handover, resource management and call admission control. This article proposes a general radio resource management framework which can be supported by future network architectures. A combined call admission control, resource reservation algorithm and bandwidth adaptation based IEEE 802.21 MIH standard approach for heterogeneous wireless network is detailed in this framework. Our aims are to guarantee quality of service (QoS) requirements of all accepted calls, reduce new call blocking probability and handover call dropping probability, and maintain efficient resource utilization. Performance analysis shows that our proposed approach best guarantees QoS requirements.