IP Flow Mobility in PMIPv6 Based Networks: Solution Design and Experimental Evaluation

The ability of offloading selected IP data traffic from 3G to WLAN access networks is considered a key feature in the upcoming 3GPP specifications, being the main goal to alleviate data congestion in cellular networks while delivering a positive user experience. Lately, the 3GPP has adopted solutions that enable mobility of IP-based wireless devices relocating mobility functions from the terminal to the network. To this end, the IETF has standardized Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6), a protocol capable to hide often complex mobility procedures from the mobile devices. This paper, in line with the mentioned offload requirement, further extends PMIPv6 to support dynamic IP flow mobility management across access wireless networks according to operator policies. Considering energy consumption The research of Carlos J. Bernardos, Antonio de la Oliva, Telemaco Melia and Fabio Giust leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-ICT-2009-5) under grant agreement n. 258053 (MEDIEVAL project). Carlos J. Bernardos and Maria Calderon have also received funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain, under the QUARTET project (TIN2009-13992-C02-01) . T. Melia Bell Labs France, Paris, France e-mail: [email protected] C. J. Bernardos · A. de la Oliva · M. Calderon (B) Department of Telematics Engineering, University Carlos III of Madrid, Madrid, Spain e-mail: [email protected] C. J. Bernardos e-mail: [email protected] A. de la Oliva e-mail: [email protected] F. Giust Department of Telematics Engineering, University Carlos III of Madrid, Madrid, Spain e-mail: [email protected] F. Giust Institute IMDEA Networks, University Carlos III of Madrid, Madrid, Spain