Fast MIPv6 Extensions Supporting Seamless Multicast Handovers

Inhalt:
The application of appropriate extensions to the “Fast Handovers for Mobile IPv6” (FMIPv6) protocol that enable mobile nodes to execute seamless multicast remote subscriptions while changing their network attachment point is presented. The proposed handover supporting mechanism achieves minimization of the multicast service disruption period by suggesting the conditional tunneling of multicast traffic, on a per flow (rather than per mobile node) basis, among the network nodes involved in the procedure. Tunneling is performed after the proactive to handover establishment of multicast membership information at the access router at which the mobile is anticipated to attach. The paper presents quantitative comparative OPNET simulation results, extracted from an IEEE 802.11 WLAN simulation indoor topology. Performance achievements are provided for metrics such as the service disruption time perceived by video streaming recipients executing inter-domain handovers and the tunneling effort spent, while varying link-layer trigger generation, remote subscription latency and inter-access network delay.