Performance Analysis of Fast Handover for Hierarchical MIPv6 in Cellular Networks

Next-generation wireless networks present an all-IP-based architecture integrating the existing cellular networks with wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless metropolitan area networks (WMANs), wireless ad hoc networks, wireless personal area networks (WPANs), etc. This makes mobility management an important issue for users roaming among these networks/systems. On one hand, intelligent schemes needs to be devised to benefit the IP-based technology, on the other hand, new solutions are required to take into account global roaming among various radio access technology and support of real-time multimedia applications. This paper presents a comprehensive performance analysis of fast handover for hierarchical mobile IPv6 (F-HMIPv6) using a proposed analytical model. Location update cost function, packet delivery cost function and total cost function are formulated respectively based on the fluid-flow mobility model. We investigate the impact of several wireless system factors, such as user velocity, user density, mobility domain size, session-to-mobility ratio on these costs, and present some numerical results.