Methods and systems for a generalized mobility solution using a dynamic tunneling agent

• US 20020026527A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Das, Sajal, Misra, Archan, Das, Subir, Dutta, Ashutosh, Agrawal, Prathima, Mcauley, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 6,992,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for facilitating intra-domain mobility. A first network or domain includes a home agent or SIP proxy of a mobile node. A second network includes two or more subnetworks and at least one dynamic tunneling agent (DTA). Each subnetwork includes an associated subnet agent. To communicate, the mobile node first registers with a subnet agent, receives a local care-of-address and a global care-of-address, and then registers with a DTA. The local care-of-address received from the subnet agent may enable communication with the mobile node without determining a specific route to the mobile node. The global care-of-address received from the subnet agent may include the address of the DTA with which to register. On registering with the DTA, the DTA may provide the mobile node with a unique, globally reachable global care-of-address, which the mobile node may then forward to a home agent, SIP proxy, or a correspondent node. Accordingly, the mobile node may transition from any of the subnetworks to another subnetwork without communicating to the home agent information about the transition and without communicating to the DTA information about a security association between the mobile node and the home agent.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating intra-domain mobility, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first network that includes a first agent including location information about a mobile node;

providing a second network that includes two or more subnetworks and a second agent; and

registering the mobile node with the second agent such that the mobile node is provided a unique globally reachable address different from a home address of the mobile node, enabling the mobile node to transition from any of the subnetworks to another subnetwork without communicating to the first agent information about the transition and without communicating to the second agent information about a security association between the mobile node and the first agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent includes a dynamic tunneling agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent includes a plurality of associated IP addresses to assign to a mobile node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first agent includes a globally accessible redirection agent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of registering the mobile node with the second agent further comprises the step of:

registering the mobile node with a third agent associated with one of the subnetworks.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third agent includes a subnet agent.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the third agent includes a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the third agent includes a dynamic configuration and registration protocol (DRCP) server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent operates at a network layer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing by the mobile node the globally reachable GCOA to the first agent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing another network that includes a correspondent agent; and

providing by the mobile node the globally reachable GCOA to the correspondent agent.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving in the first network communication addressed to the mobile node;

intercepting the communication by the first agent;

forwarding, at the first agent, the communication to the globally reachable GCOA;

intercepting of the communication by the second agent; and

forwarding, at the second agent, the communication to the mobile node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of forwarding the communication to the mobile node comprises the steps of:

encapsulating the communication to include the LCOA of the mobile node; and

sending the encapsulated communication to the LCOA.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

decapsulating the encapsulated communication by the third agent; and

forwarding the decapsulated communication to the mobile node.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a second network includes providing at least two second agents.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of registering the mobile node comprises the steps of:

providing a mobility server in the second network;

allocating dynamically by the mobility server one of the at least two second agents; and

registering the mobile node with the allocated second agent.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second agent includes a dynamic tunneling agent.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the second agent operates at a network layer.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first network includes a home network.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the second network includes a foreign network.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the second network includes a third agent associated with one of the subnetworks.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the third agent includes a subnet agent.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the third agent includes a DHCP server.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the third agent includes a DRCP server.

17. A system for facilitating intra-domain mobility, said system comprising:

a first network that includes a first agent having a home address of a mobile node; and

a second network that includes two or more subnetworks and a second agent, wherein the second agent is programmed to provide the mobile node with a unique globally reachable address different from a home address of the mobile node enabling the mobile node to transition from any of the subnetworks to another subnetwork without communicating information to the first agent about the transition and without communicating to the second agent information about a security association between the mobile node and the first agent.