Goals for Network-Based Localized Mobility Management (NETLMM)
RFC 4831

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Network Working Group                                      J. Kempf, Ed.
Request for Comments: 4831                               DoCoMo USA Labs
Category: Informational                                       April 2007

    Goals for Network-Based Localized Mobility Management (NETLMM)

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 IETF Trust (2007).

Abstract

   In this document, design goals for a network-based localized mobility
   management (NETLMM) protocol are discussed.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................2
      1.1. Terminology ................................................2
   2. NETLMM Functional Architecture ..................................3
   3. Goals for the NETLMM Protocol ...................................3
      3.1. Goal 1: Handover Performance Improvement ...................4
      3.2. Goal 2: Reduction in Handover-Related Signaling Volume .....5
      3.3. Goal 3: Location Privacy ...................................6
      3.4. Goal 4: Limit Overhead in the Network ......................7
      3.5. Goal 5: Simplify Mobile Node Mobility Management
           Security by Deriving from IP Network Access and/or IP
           Movement Detection Security ................................7
      3.6. Goal 6: Link Technology Agnostic ...........................8
      3.7. Goal 7: Support for Unmodified Mobile Nodes ................8
      3.8. Goal 8: Support for IPv4 and IPv6 ..........................9
      3.9. Goal 9: Reuse of Existing Protocols Where Sensible ........10
      3.10. Goal 10: Localized Mobility Management
            Independent of Global Mobility Management ................10
      3.11. Goal 11: Configurable Data Plane Forwarding
            between Local Mobility Anchor and Mobile Access Gateway ..11
   4. Security Considerations ........................................11
   5. Acknowledgements ...............................................11
   6. Normative References ...........................................12
   7. Informative References .........................................12
   8. Contributors ...................................................13

Kempf                        Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 4831                      NETLMM Goals                    April 2007

1.  Introduction

   In [1], the basic problems that occur when a global mobility protocol
   is used for managing local mobility are described, and two currently
   used approaches to localized mobility management -- the host-based
   approach that is used by most IETF protocols, and the proprietary
   Wireless LAN (WLAN) switch approach used between WLAN switches in
   different subnets -- are examined.  The conclusion from the problem
   statement document is that none of the approaches has a complete
   solution to the problem.  While the WLAN switch approach is most
   convenient for network operators and users because it requires no
   software on the mobile node other than the standard drivers for WiFi,
   the proprietary nature limits interoperability, and the restriction
   to a single last-hop link type and wired backhaul link type restricts
   scalability.  The IETF host-based protocols require host software
   stack changes that may not be compatible with all global mobility
   protocols.  They also require specialized and complex security
   transactions with the network that may limit deployability.  The
   conclusion is that a localized mobility management protocol that is
   network based and requires no software on the host for localized
   mobility management is desirable.

   This document develops a brief functional architecture and detailed
   goals for a network-based localized mobility management protocol
   (NETLMM).  Section 2 describes the functional architecture of NETLMM.
   In Section 3, a list of goals that is desirable in the NETLMM
   protocol is presented.  Section 4 briefly outlines Security
   Considerations.  More discussion of security can be found in the
   threat analysis document [2].

1.1.  Terminology

   Mobility terminology in this document follows that in RFC 3753 [10]
   and in [1].  In addition, the following terms are related to the
   functional architecture described in Section 2:

   Localized Mobility Management Domain

      An Access Network in the sense defined in [1] in which mobility is
      handled by the NETLMM protocol.

   Mobile Access Gateway

      A Mobile Access Gateway (MAG) is a functional network element that
      terminates a specific edge link and tracks mobile node IP-level
      mobility between edge links, through NETLMM signaling with the
      Localized Mobility Anchor.  The MAG also terminates host routed
      data traffic from the Localized Mobility Anchor for mobile nodes