SIP and MIPv6: Cross-layer mobility

Terminal mobility may be handled at different layers. Though the MIPv6 protocol is the strongest candidate for handling mobility in next generation networks, mobility management facilities are also provided by SIP, the most widely deployed and researched protocol for session control. When jointly used, this duplication of functions leads to inefficiencies in session setup signaling, particularly if coupled with end-to-end resource reservation for the media flows. This paper analyses these inefficiencies and proposes an integrated approach that minimizes the session setup delay. The gains of the proposal are demonstrated both by a delay analysis and by simulation results.