Guide for application developers on session continuity by using MIF API
draft-deng-mif-api-session-continuity-guide-01

MIF WG                                                           H. Deng
Internet-Draft                                              China Mobile
Intended status: Informational                               S. Krishnan
Expires: January 16, 2013                                       Ericsson
                                                                T. Lemon
                                                                 Nominum
                                                            M. Wasserman
                                                  Painless Security, LLC
                                                           July 15, 2012

Guide for application developers on session continuity by using MIF API
             draft-deng-mif-api-session-continuity-guide-01

Abstract

   Today most smart terminals are equiped with multiple interfaces such
   as 3G/LTE and Wifi, users experience some application broken during
   switching interfaces.  MIF API draft [I-D.ietf-mif-api-extension] has
   specified some API to announce interface on/off information to the
   applications.  Once the application received those information, it
   can re-connect to the servers which could improve session continuity
   experience in some extent.

Requirements Language

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].

Status of this Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
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   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on January 16, 2013.

Copyright Notice

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   Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   2.  Related MIF API information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   3.  Using different source address to reconnect the server  . . . . 3
   4.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   6.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   7.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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1.  Introduction

   Most smart terminals today have both Wifi and 3G/LTE interfaces, and
   operators may charge differently for different connection which lead
   to user sometime switching their interface when the terminals are in
   the different network coverage.  When the user switched from 3G/LTE
   to wifi or vice versa, the applications sitting in the terminal are
   not awared of this change may experience of broken.

   MIF API draft [I-D.ietf-mif-api-extension] has specified an API
   interface, there are some API related to interface status
   information. if the application developers are awared of those
   information, then they can develop the application to follow those
   behavior. this document try to write a guidance about how the
   application developer use MIF API information to guarantee the
   application session continuity by changing the source address.

2.  Related MIF API information

   MIF API draft [I-D.ietf-mif-api-extension] defined couple of MIF
   Messages which is related to whether interface is available or not in
   section 3.5.1 and 3.5.4 by the message of Announce Interfaces and No
   Interface Announcement, same as the address information in section
   3.5.12 and 3.5.14.  Both interface and address information could be
   used by the application to take use of the avilablility of the second
   interface.

3.  Using different source address to reconnect the server

   The Internet application client usually setup the connection with the
   server, then trying to keep the connection as long as it can.  It
   works reasonable when the host has only one interface.  Once the
   smart terminal which has both 3G/LTE and WLAN interface.  The price
   and the connection speed are different, so for the consideration of
   the user, they would prefer to change another cheaper and faster
   connection, for example from 3G/LTE to WLAN, normally the smart
   terminal will get different IP address, DNS server and default
   gateway.  The application will normally break after the original
   interface switched off.  The realtime application such as game,
   video, and voice will break.  The HTTP application like browser will
   stop download the content, and the user have to re-fresh the explorer
   again.

   if the application developer understand this circumstance, and there
   is MIF API avilable by different representation based on different
   mobile OS. then the application could be designed reconnect the

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   server based on MIF API notification about new interface and new
   address.

   It is most case that even the smart terminal get WLAN interface and
   IP addressed assgined, but it still can not be connected to the
   Internet, because it hasn't been authenticated by the WLAN web
   portal. so the trial of the reconnection is needed before physically
   switch from first interface to the second interface.

   The recommended steps for the application developer to keep the
   session continuity based on MIF API are listed below:

   Step 1: Client connect to the server based on interface 1 (either 3G/
   LTE or WLAN);

   Step 2: Client listen to MIF API for interface and address;

   Step 3: the 2nd interface is up and get a second IP address, OS will
   notify the application based on MIF API

   Step 4: Client try to re-connect to the server from the 2nd
   interface, if it is connected, prompt to the user, once the user
   conformed, it will switch the interface.

   Step 5: User may switch off 1st interface.

4.  IANA Considerations

   This document makes no request of IANA.

   Note to RFC Editor: this section may be removed on publication as an
   RFC.

5.  Security Considerations

   Sometime when the Wifi interface is up, even it has got an IP
   address, default gateway, and DNS server address, but it may not be
   connected the Internet because web portal hasn't been successfully
   authenticated.  In this case, even applciation would like to use
   source address from wifi to re-connect with the server, it may still
   fail.

   Some applications may rely on the source address as the credentials,
   it may need to reestablish the new credential after the application
   switchs into a new source address.

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6.  Acknowledgements

   The author thanks the discussion from Pete McCann, Julien Laganier,
   Dapeng Liu, et al. in the development of this document.

7.  Normative References

   [I-D.ietf-mif-api-extension]
              Liu, D., Lemon, T., Ismailov, Y., and Z. Cao, "MIF API
              consideration", draft-ietf-mif-api-extension-00 (work in
              progress), March 2012.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

Authors' Addresses

   Hui Deng
   China Mobile
   No.32 Xuanwumen West Street
   Xicheng District,
   Beijing  100053
   China

   Email: denghui02@gmail.com

   Suresh Krishnan
   Ericsson
   8400 Blvd Decarie
   Town of Mount Royal, Quebecy
   Canada

   Email: suresh.krishnan@ericsson.com

   Ted Lemon
   Nominum
   Redwood City,
   94063
   USA

   Email: Ted.Lemon@nominum.com

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   Margaret Wasserman
   Painless Security, LLC
   356 Abbott Street,
   North Andover  01845
   USA

   Email: mrw@painless-security.com

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