Mobility Related Terminology
RFC 3753

• Status
• IESG evaluation record
• IESG writeups
• Email expansions
• History

• Versions
• 06

Network Working Group                                     J. Manner, Ed.
Request for Comments: 3753                                  M. Kojo, Ed.
Category: Informational                                        June 2004

                      Mobility Related Terminology

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004).

Abstract

   There is a need for common definitions of terminology in the work to
   be done around IP mobility.  This document defines terms for mobility
   related terminology.  The document originated out of work done in the
   Seamoby Working Group but has broader applicability for terminology
   used in IETF-wide discourse on technology for mobility and IP
   networks.  Other working groups dealing with mobility may want to
   take advantage of this terminology.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  General Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Mobile Access Networks and Mobile Networks. . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.  Handover Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
       4.1.  Scope of Handover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
       4.2.  Handover Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
       4.3.  Simultaneous connectivity to Access Routers . . . . . .  19
       4.4.  Performance and Functional Aspects. . . . . . . . . . .  19
       4.5.  Micro Diversity, Macro Diversity, and IP Diversity. . .  21
       4.6.  Paging, and Mobile Node States and Modes. . . . . . . .  22
       4.7.  Context Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24
       4.8.  Candidate Access Router Discovery . . . . . . . . . . .  24
       4.9.  Types of Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
   5.  Specific Terminology for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking . . . . . .  26
   6.  Security-related Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27
   7.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28
   8.  Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28
   9.  Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
   10. Informative References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29

Manner & Kojo                Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 3753              Mobility Related Terminology             June 2004

   11. Appendix A - Index of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
   12. Authors' Addresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
   13. Full Copyright Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36

1.  Introduction

   This document presents terminology to be used for documents and
   discussions within the Seamoby Working Group.  Other mobility related
   working groups could take advantage of this terminology, in order to
   create a common terminology for the area of mobility in IP networks.

   Some terms and their definitions that are not directly related to the
   IP world are included for the purpose of harmonizing the terminology.
   For example, 'Access Point' and 'base station' refer to the same
   component, from the point of view of IP, but 'Access Router' has a
   very different meaning.  The presented terminology may also, it is
   hoped, be adequate to cover mobile ad-hoc networks.

   The proposed terminology is not meant to assert any new terminology.
   Rather the authors would welcome discussion on more exact definitions
   as well as missing or unnecessary terms.  This work is a
   collaborative enterprise between people from many different
   engineering backgrounds and so already presents a first step in
   harmonizing the terminology.

   The terminology in this document is divided into several sections.
   First, there is a list of terms for general use and mobile access
   networks followed by terms related to handovers, and finally some
   terms used within the MANET and NEMO working groups.

2.  General Terms

   Bandwidth

      The total width of the frequency band available to or used by a
      communications channel.  Usually measured in Hertz (Hz).  The
      bandwidth of a channel limits the available channel capacity.

   Bandwidth utilization

      The actual rate of information transfer achieved over a link,
      expressed as a percentage of the theoretical maximum channel
      capacity on that link, according to Shannon's Law.

Manner & Kojo                Informational                      [Page 2]
RFC 3753              Mobility Related Terminology             June 2004

   Beacon

      A control message broadcast by a node (especially, a base station)
      informing all the other nodes in its neighborhood of the
      continuing presence of the broadcasting node, possibly along with
      additional status or configuration information.