An integration framework and a signaling protocol for MPLS/DiffServ/HMIP radio access networks

This thesis proposed a framework that integrates Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), Differentiated Services (DiffServ), and Hierarchical Mobile IPv6 (HMIPv6) in a Radio Access Network (RAN) and defined a supporting signaling protocol for the above framework. Two different paradigms for combining the connection-oriented static MPLS architecture with the connectionless and dynamic mobile IP protocol were proposed and examined. The overlay method improved on existing methods of MIP-MPLS interworking and defined an overlay framework based on HMIPv6. The main idea of this method is to substitute the tunnels required by the mobility protocol with paths created in the MPLS protocol, thus improving the forwarding times of data packets. The method was thoroughly examined and its inefficiencies were identified for improvement. The integrated method optimized the overlay interworking paradigm by defining different internal operations in combined MIP-MPLS nodes. The resultant integrated framework determined how to integrate MPLS/DiffServ and HMIPv6 to support mobile hosts in a RAN by combining the registration and tunneling procedures in HMIPv6 with the path setup and modification procedures in MPLS. It also included the use of new information bases and established different interactions for the combined nodes' control planes. The current MPLS signaling protocols (CR-LDP and RSVP-TE) were examined under both the overlay and integrated architectures and modifications were proposed to them to handle all the new capabilities of the integrated framework. The integrated framework was also combined with a traffic engineering algorithm and its ability to adapt to imposing requirements was proven by example.