Network-Controlled Route Optimization for Heterogeneous Mobile IP Networks

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a new solution for route optimization that can be applied to heterogeneous mobile IP networks that support client-based and network-based IP mobility management. The proposed solution aims to satisfy important requirements such as an efficient network resources utilization, an improvement of the end-to-end quality of service, and the capability to monitor user traffic for policy control and charging. In the proposed solution, the management of the route optimization context is performed by the mobility anchor, while the IP packet processing for route optimization is performed by the nodes located around the edge of the networks. We provide a comparative evaluation of the proposed solution and existing solutions in terms of: 1) the ability to maintain route optimization when the mobile node moves across a boundary between network domains where different types of IP mobility management are employed, 2) the range of application, 3) the latency required to continue route optimization upon handover, and 4) the amount of signaling. The evaluation results show that our proposed solution best satisfies the route optimization requirements for the heterogeneous mobile IP networks that we consider in this paper.