Mobility management issues in next generation networks

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Mobility management issuesin next generation
networks

• Frédéric DELMOND France Telecom RD

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Global requirements to support nomadic users

• An extensive range of access networks and
  terminals
• xDSL, WLAN, 3G mobile, etc. in addition to
  narrow-band access
• PCs, laptops, PDA, handsets, etc.
• Nomadism should be supported across
  heterogeneous environments
• consistent service presentation and execution,
  whatever the access network point
• enhanced services, aware of the current user
  environment (e.g. location, bit rate)
• Global users in the network in the services

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Minimum requirements to support nomadic users

• User identification authentication
• Identify the user separately from the access
• User access control
• Allowed / banned access
• User location management
• Retrieve where the user is located, over which
  access hes connected

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Additional requirements to support nomadic users

• Enhanced services for nomadic users
• Virtual Home Environment concept
• users should experience consistent service
  execution
• services should be adapted to the current user
  situation in real-time

• VHE enablers
• know more about the user environment
• Access network Terminal capabilities
• know more about the user preferences
• General user preferences
• User configuration for the access service
• Presence and availability management

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Technical challenges for User Identification,
Authenti- cation and Authorization in
heterogeneous networks

• Objective to design generic, re-usable network
  functions
• Technical issues
• 1. How to provide a simple secure interface to
  users ?
• How to provide 'Single Sign On' to users across
  various access means (fixed and mobile) ? Which
  interactions to be defined with services
  applications ?
• Which authentication schemes ?
• 2. How to enable the operator to be a trusted 3d
  party ?
• when the operator has performed identification
  authentication
• 3. Access control
• how to access the user profile during access
  control in the network, when the user requests
  session setup ?

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Technical challenges for User data in
heterogeneous networks

• Data related to user environment (access
  terminal)
• Information needed for VHE and enhanced services
• Technical issues
• 1. Extract useful information from protocols in
  the signalling path
• e.g. access identification, access type,
  terminal type, etc.
• define the minimum information needed in these
  protocols and propose protocols evolutions when
  necessary
• 2. Provide a view of active access sessions in
  real-time
• define interfaces to allow services and
  application to retrieve data of user access
  sessions
• e.g. user location, max. bit rate available
• be able to notify user IP connectivity
  network presence
• easier presence management at application level

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Technical challenges for User profile in
heterogeneous networks

• User profile is composed of
• dynamic data
• values change as users move
• e.g. user location, bitrate available, user
  presence, etc.
• static data
• values do not change as users move
• e.g. service subscription, user preferences, etc
• Technical issues
• How to retrieve any user data in a simple manner
  ?
• Define a minimum user profile, which can be
  known by the network operator, applications and
  services ?
• A consistent and global approach for user
  profile is needed

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Synergy with mobile networks ?

• How to handle nomadism across fixed and mobile
  access ?
• Example 1
• develop Mobility Management (MM) functions for
  fixed access
• and mobile networks are used as a simple
  access means.
• Users are handled by these MM functions whatever
  the access
• Example 2
• develop MM functions for fixed access
• users rely on mobile network MM when using a
  mobile access
• Develop specific coordination between mobile and
  fixed network
• In any case, the realization of VHE requires that
  
• consistent interfaces with users and with
  services whatever the access, fixed or mobile

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Conclusions

• Standardisation activities for mobility
  management in NGN
• ensure a global user approach, independent of
  a specific access technology
• define a reference architecture and network
  functions required to support nomadic users
• define required interfaces for these functions in
  the control layer
• with the terminals, with the application layer,
  with the transfer plane