Internet DRAFT - draft-zuniga-mif-802-21-overview
draft-zuniga-mif-802-21-overview
MIF WG JC. Zuniga
Internet-Draft InterDigital Communications, LLC
Intended status: Informational P. Seite
Expires: August 18, 2014 Orange
February 14, 2014
IEEE 802.21 Overview
draft-zuniga-mif-802-21-overview-02
Abstract
Some of the messages defined by a potential MIF API may rely on
functionalities provided by lower layers. The IEEE 802.21
specification defines an abstraction of lower layer functions that
can be useful for a MIF API. This document provides an overview of
the IEEE 802.21 specification and enumerates a subset of functions
that can be used in the context of the MIF API to interact with lower
layers.
Status of This Memo
This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.
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This Internet-Draft will expire on August 18, 2014.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. IEEE 802.21 Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. Introduction
There is currently a need to present a coherent connection management
behaviour for different terminal platforms (e.g. mobile smart phones,
PCs, tablets, etc.), as users often experience a very different
behaviour when connecting with various platforms to the same networks
and for the same purposes (e.g. web browsing, email access, VPN,
dedicated applications, etc.).
The IEEE 802.21 specification [IEEE802.21] defines several media
independent services that can be used by higher layers (e.g., L3 and
above) to interact with lower layers (e.g., L2 and below). This
document provides an overview of the IEEE 802.21 specification,
focusing on the most relevant functions from a MIF API point of view.
2. IEEE 802.21 Framework
Some of the connection management services described in
[I-D.seite-mif-cm] may rely on standardized abstraction layers such
as the IEEE 802.21 framework [IEEE802.21].
The IEEE 802.21-2008 Media Independent Handover (MIH) Services
baseline specification defines three types of services: Information
Services (IS), Event Services (ES) and Command Services (CS). Each
one of these services has a different purpose. The IS provides
information about existing networks and services in a potential
target network. The ES provides triggers, measurements and events
from lower layers (e.g. network access layers) that can be used for
instance to proactively trigger actions like a handing over or
establishing a new connection to a different access network. The CS
allows configuring lower layer interfaces and events. Both ES and CS
provide an abstraction layer to upper layers that allows configuring
and interacting with different types of network link interfaces in a
coherent manner.
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In 802.21 terminology, the main functionalities are performed by the
MIH Function. This MIH Function is in charge of providing services
to the MIH User, which is a higher layer entity (e.g., L3 and above).
Functions are applied to specific Link Layers, which are lower layer
entities (e.g., L2 and below). The basics of the 802.21 ES/CS flow
are depicted in Figure 1.
MIH User MIH Function Link Layer
| | |
| | |
| | |
| subcribe.request | |
|------------------->|----------->|
| subcribe.confirm | |
|<-------------------|<-----------|
| | |
| | |
| | event occurs
| event.notif | |
|<-------------------|<-----------|
| | |
| command.request | |
|------------------->|----------->|
| | Link command
| command.confirm | Execution
|<-------------------|<-----------|
| | |
Figure 1: IEEE 802.21 event and command services flow
An MIH user may use the following IEEE 802.21 events and commands to
complete connection management operations:
Link_Event_Subscribe
Category: command
Description: Subscribe to one or more events from a link.
Link_Event_Unsubscribe
Category: command
Description: Unsubscribe from a set of link-layer events.
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Link_Parameters_Report
Category: Event
Description: Link parameters have crossed a specified threshold
and need to be reported.
Link_Get_Parameters
Category: command
Description: Get parameters measured by the active link, such as
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), BER, received signal strength
indication (RSSI).
Link_Detected
Category: Event
Description: Link of a new access network has been detected.
Link_Up
Category: Event
Description: L2 connection is established and link is available
for use.
Link_Down
Category: Event
Description: L2 connection is broken and link is not available for
use.
Link_Going_Down
Category: Event
Description: Radio link conditions are degrading and connection
loss is very likely.
Link_Handover_Imminent
Category: Event
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Description: L2 handover is imminent based on either the changes
in the link conditions or additional information available at
layer 2.
Link_Handover_Complete
Category: Event
Description: L2 handover has been completed.
Link_PDU_Transmit_Status
Category: Event
Description: indicate transmission status of a PDU.
Link_Capability_Discover
Category: command
Description: Query and discover the list of supported link-layer
events and link-layer commands.
Link_Configuration_Thresholds
Category: command
Description: Configure thresholds for future Link Parameters
Report events.
Link_Action
Category: command
Description: request an action on a link-layer connection, e.g.
perform a scan, shut down an interface, etc.
Handover_Query
Category: command
Description: query and obtain handover related information about
possible candidate target networks.
Handover_Commit
Category: command
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Description: notify the MIH function of the decided target
network.
Handover_Complete
Category: command
Description: indicate the status of the handover completion to the
MIH function.
3. Security Considerations
TBD.
4. IANA Considerations
This document has no actions for IANA.
5. Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Ralph Droms, Ted
Lemon, Dave Thaler, Antonio de la Oliva and Subir Das for the
fruitful discussions regarding 802.21, MIF API and connection
managers.
6. References
[I-D.ietf-mif-api-extension]
Liu, D., Lemon, T., Ismailov, Y., and Z. Cao, "MIF API
consideration", draft-ietf-mif-api-extension-04 (work in
progress), October 2013.
[I-D.seite-mif-cm]
Seite, P. and J. Zuniga, "MIF API for Connection
Management", draft-seite-mif-cm-02 (work in progress),
August 2013.
[IEEE802.21]
IEEE, "IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area
Networks - Part 21: Media Independent Handover Services",
IEEE LAN/MAN Std 802.21-2008, January 2009.", 2009, <
http://www.ieee802.org/21/private/Published%20Spec/
802.21-2008.pdf>.
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Authors' Addresses
Juan Carlos Zuniga
InterDigital Communications, LLC
1000 Sherbrooke Street West, 10th floor
Montreal, Quebec H3A 3G4
Canada
Email: JuanCarlos.Zuniga@InterDigital.com
Pierrick Seite
Orange
4, rue du Clos Courtel, BP 91226
Cesson-Sevigne 35512
France
Email: pierrick.seite@orange.com
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