Comparison and evaluation of network-based IP mobility management schemes

With the expected prevalence of IP-based wireless mobile communication networks, the provision of adequate mobility solutions becomes a key issue. The concept of network-based mobility management is currently being debated on by the Internet Engineering Task Force as a novel approach enabling mobility for user terminals which lack built-in mobility extensions. Such a concept provides an alternative to the conventional host-based solutions. In this paper, we investigate the corresponding requirements, and analyze three proposed schemes for network-based IP mobility management. The operational mechanisms defined in the Proxy Mobile IPv4, Proxy Mobile IPv6, and the Network-Based Localized Mobility Management Protocol (NBLM) schemes are qualitatively compared based on performance, security and deployment aspects in order to provide a better understanding of the benefits and shortcomings of the network-based mobility concept. The resulting evaluation is aimed at determining the possibilities for an optimized architecture model and feasible performance improvements.