QoS-aware dynamic MAP selection schemes in HMIPv6 networks

We consider a dynamic Mobile Anchor Point (MAP) selection problem when there are both real-time and non-real time sessions in a Hierarchical Mobile IPv6 (HMIPv6) network. We propose schemes in which Mobile Nodes (MNs) holding real-time sessions register with the root MAP in a hierarchy of MAPs to reduce the inter-domain handovers while those with non-real time sessions select one either to balance the load or to reduce handover frequencies. Both the simulation and analytical results show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes with respect to the number of inter-domain handovers, to the average signaling cost, and to the load distribution. In addition, we could also confirm that our MAP selection schemes provide better QoS to the MNs holding real-time sessions, in that they reduce the inter-domain handovers for those MNs and the average handover delay, resulting in a shorter service disruption. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.