Introduction to Mobility

Do van Thanh Forelesning p NTNU 19. September 2001

What is mobility?
Moving, in motion

Immobile

Migrating, changing location Changing roles

2

Mobile

What is mobility?
In the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:
Main Entry: 1mobile Pronunciation: 'mO-b&l, -"bIl also -"bEl Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English mobyll, from Middle French mobile, from Latin mobilis, from movEre to move Date: 15th century 1 : capable of moving or being moved : MOVABLE <a mobile missile launcher> 2 a : changeable in appearance, mood, or purpose <mobile face> b : ADAPTABLE, VERSATILE 3 : moving habitually or occasionally from one region or climate to another <the study of migratory birds> MIGRATORY 4 a : characterized by the mixing of social groups b : having the opportunity for or undergoing a shift in status within the hierarchical social levels of a society <socially mobile workers> 5 : marked by the use of vehicles for transportation <mobile warfare> 6 : of or relating to a mobile - mobility /mO-'bi-l&-tE/ noun

Mobility Types
Component Mobility Terminal Mobility

Home Domain

Data Profile Computing

Home Services/Applications

Continuous

Communication
Voice telephony Multimedia conference Mail Synchronous Asynchronous

Application/Service Portability/Mobility

Session Mobility

Word Processor Spreadsheet Information Database Games E-commerce

Personal Mobility Portability Discret

Visiting Domain
Role Mobility

Visiting Services Communication Computing Visiting Facilities Printers Fax Projector

Mobility Types

Terminal mobility allows the terminal to change location while maintaining all services. Component mobility allows components e.g. earphone, microphone, etc. of a terminal to change location while maintaining all services. The components form a PAN (Personal Area Network) Personal mobility allows the user to access all services independently of terminals and networks. Role mobility allows the user to change roles and get access to distinct preferences, rights and limitations.

Mobility Types

Session mobility ensures that active sessions are not disrupted while users change terminals. Application/service portability or mobility allows software entities (codes, objects, processes) to be relocated from one machine to another or even moved between machines while processing.
Ex: Applets (code) Mobile Agents (object)

Mobility Types
Continuous Mobility enables continuous availability of services while the user moves.
Ex: Cellular systems

Discrete Mobility enables the availability of services within certain areas and for certain access points, e.g. Home an Office, but not while moving from one area to another
Ex: DECT, Wireless LAN

Portability is an example of discrete terminal mobility, where it is allowed to move a terminal from one plug to another.

What is mobility?
Mobility is confined to any particular networks.
Mobile does not mean necessarily wireless since wireline networks can also offer mobility Wireless does not mean mobile since devices like parkometer, soft drink automate may communicate wireless and remain immobile.

Mobility is not a service because mobility as such has no value for a user if not supplemented with other services. Mobility enhances the availability of other services. Mobility is a capability that can be added to any network system

How can mobility be introduced?

Communication System
Application/Service Layer

Mobility Layer

Example: IP-based networks do not originally support mobility. By introducing Mobile IP than discrete terminal mobility is supported

Network Layer

The Mobility functions

1. Identification When moving the mobile entity needs to change Network Access Point Every mobile entity (person, terminal) must have its own identity
For terminal mobility: Every terminal must have an identity distinct from the Network Access point's one ( Network Address) For Personal mobility: Every person must have an identity distinct from the terminal' one

Network

Access Points

10

The Mobility functions

1. Identification Every entity has only one identity, but may have several identifiers An identifier is assigned uniquely to one mobile entity An identifier may be permanent or temporarily allocated according to time, location, context, etc. A human user may have several identifiers, one public such as email or personal such as login name Example: In GSM
Each terminal has a IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) Each mobile subscriber has two identifiers: IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity)

11

The Mobility Functions

2. Authentication It is not sufficient that the mobile entity identifies itself, but the system must be capable to verify that the mobile entity is the one it claimed to be A generic security function that is more necessary and more difficult to realize with mobility claim Principal verify delegation Claimant verify claim Trusted Third Party verify Trusted Third Party
12

Entity Authentication claim Verifier

The Mobility Functions

2. Authentication Authentication methods relies on:
Something known, e.g password, pin code, etc. Something possessed, e.g magnetic card, smart card, etc. Some immutable characteristics, e.g. biometric identifiers Accepting that a 3rd entity has established authentication Context e.g. Location of principal

Authentication method must fit the principal's characteristics:

Passive characteristics, e.g. Fingerprint, retinal, etc. Information storage capability Information exchange and processing capability Unique fixed location

13

Mobility Functions
2. Authentication Authentication of the human user must in addition fit the used terminal when a user is allowed to use different terminals Authentication of the communication system by the mobile entity is also necessary ( Not in GSM but in UMTS)

MS stored Ki IM SI or TMSI

VLR

HLR IMSI, VLR

SRES = A3(Ki, RAND) Kc= A8(Ki, RAND)

a set of (RAND;SRES;K c ) RAND SRES

Authentication in GSM
14

Mobility Functions
3. Access Control (or Authorisation) Even though a mobile entity is authenticated it is not necessarily authorised to access services. Access control' s goal is to counter the threat of unauthorized access. The access rights of the mobile entity is limited by:
Roaming restriction Time restriction Credit limit

15

Mobility Functions
3. Access Control In a system supporting both terminal and personal mobility, a user is subject to three types of access control:
Access control for the use of the terminal (protection of 3rd party) Access control concerning the access to the communication system Access control concerning the use of the service requested

Terminal User

telecom system

Services

16

Mobility Functions
4. Registration/Deregistration When a terminal moves and uses different access points Or when a user is using different terminals The system must know about it. A registration is necessary. Registration is the procedure that associates a mobile entity with a location directly or indirectly.
Network

Access Points

17

Mobility Functions
4. Registration/Deregistration

User 1+

has

User Profile

registered_at has Terminal Capability

Terminal

registered_at Network A ccess Point has Physical Characteristics

18

Mobility Functions
4. Registration/Deregistration Initiated by communication system
On-the-fly or Lazy Predetermination:
Periodic Based on changes

Initiated by mobile entity Example of GSM: combination of both On-the-fly & Predetermination

Registration

Registration

GNAP

on the fly method

MTA

NAP

NAP a)

NAP

NAP

NAP b)

NAP
19

Mobility Functions
4. Registration/Deregistration User registration
Default registration Local registration Remote registration Registration through profiles

User Deregistration
Local deregistration Remote deregistration Forced deregistration

20

Mobility Functions
5. User Profile Management Every user has specific preferences concerning services and their presentation, look and feel, etc. The setup data is saved in the user profile The profile can be extended to comprise a address book, a list of favorite links, etc.
User_Profile

Service_Restriction

Routing_Info

Charging_Info

Security_Info

User_Application_Profile

Appl_ Restriction

Appl_ Appl_ Appl_ Appl_ Routing_Info Charging_Info Security_Info Spec_Info

21

Mobility Functions
5. User Profile Management Requirements on the user profile:
The user should be able to modify his profile from any terminal anywhere and anytime The applications must be configured according to the profile Must be saved in a secured manner

When the user is using different terminals and different access points, the usage of the profile must be in concordance with the terminal capabilities and the access point physical characteristics.

is represented by

has User User Profile

is represented b y

Terminal

has

Terminal Cap ability h as

is represented by

Network Access Point

Physical Characteristics
22

Mobility Functions
5. User Profile Management With the demand for more customisation of applications combined with the plurality of terminals and devices, the User Profile will play a crucial role in the future However, not much has been done yet. The challenge is: "Who is doing the User Profile Management?"

23

Mobility Functions
6. Initiation of services/applications Distinction between service and application: An application when being executed will offer a service to a user through a session. Ex: The application "MS Word" when running will offer a word processing
service to the user.

The user must have the possibility to initiate or start the same services independently of the access point and the terminal. Application initiated by the user is called outgoing application (pull) Two cases according to the location of the applications: Application located in the mobile terminal: no problem
 Ex: Laptop or PDA with all applications

24

Mobility Functions
6. Initiation of services/applications Application located at the Home domain: Alt 1. Establish a connection with Home domain
Use for confidential or large applications which are not convenient to move e.g. Information, database, etc. Long connection Firewall problem since terminal has a foreign address Ex: Telnet - rlogin

Home Domain Application

Terminal Client

Visiting Domain

25

Mobility Functions
6. Initiation of services/applications Application located at the Home domain: Alt 2. Static Replication of application logic
The same application logic is replicated at all domains The user just use the replicate at visiting domain Ex: GSM the basic call logic is replicated and installed at all domains

Home Domain Application

Terminal Client

Visiting Domain Application

26

Mobility Functions
6. Initiation of services/applications Application located at the Home domain: Alt 3. Dynamic replication of application logic
The replication is done only on request from the user The mobile agent may be used to copy, pack and bring an application to the visiting domain The Mobile agent technology is not yet mature and suffers from insufficient security and standardisation

Home Domain Application

Move Terminal Client Visiting Domain Application

27

Mobility Functions
7. Delivery of services The services are initiated by someone else e.g. Another user, the system, etc. Also called incoming services (Push). Home Domain The system must find the terminal Application X
that the user is using establish connection to the respective visiting domain Deliver output to the terminal according to the terminal capabilities

Terminal Y Client

initiates

Application

Ex: Mobile IP

Terminal Client

Visiting Domain

28

Mobility Functions
8. Service/facility discovery and usage. When visiting a domain the user may want to use facilities like printers, faxes, projectors, etc. or services like local informations, weather,etc. Nowadays it is not simple since Home Domain complex tasks must be done, e.g. Application Discover the Services/Facilities available, install drivers, etc. agent One solution could be using mobile agent technology move
Terminal Client Visiting Domain Application

agent

29

Mobility Functions
9. Support of mobility-based applications Mobility-based applications are born with mobility. They are meaningless without mobility. Examples are taxi dispatch, fleet management, public safety, etc. Such application needs location information that the mobility layer has. Provides a mobility interface to mobility-based applications
Ex: GetAddress (in TerminalID, out Address, Out Status) GetTerminal (in UserID, out TerminalID, Out Status)

For UMTS, OSA (Open Service Architecture) /Parlay has specified such a mobility interface

30

Conclusion
Generic Mobility Layer Identification

Access Control Registration /Deregistration User Profile Mgmt

Authentication

Initiation of services Discovery of Service/facility Mobility-based application support

Delivery of services

31