Introduction to

Mobility
Do van Thanh
Forelesning p NTNU
19. September 2001

What is mobility?
Moving, in
motion

Migrating,
changing
location

Immobile

Mobile

Changing
roles
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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

Home
Domain

Continuous

Component Mobility
Terminal Mobility

Session
Mobility

Application/Service
Portability/Mobility

Data

Home
Services/Applications

Profile
Computing

Word Processor
Spreadsheet
Information
Database
Games
E-commerce

Communication
Voice telephony
Multimedia
conference
Mail
Synchronous
Asynchronous

Portability Discret

Personal Mobility

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.

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

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.

How can mobility be introduced?

Communication System
Application/Service Layer

Mobility Layer

Network Layer

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

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

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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)

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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

Entity Authentication
verify

delegation

claim

Claimant

Verifier
verify
claim

Trusted Third Party

Trusted Third Party

verify

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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

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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)

stored
Ki

VLR

MS

HLR

IM SI or TMSI
IMSI, VLR
a set of (R AND;SRES;K c )

SRES = A3(Ki, RAND)

Kc= A8(Ki, RAND)

R AND
SRES

Authentication in GSM

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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

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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

Ter minal

telecom system

Services

User

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Mobility Functions
4.
Registration/Deregistratio
n
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

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Mobility Functions
4. Registration/Deregistration

User
1+

has

User Profile

registered_at

Terminal

has

Terminal Capability

registered_at
Network A ccess Point

has

Physical Characteristics

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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

NAP

NAP
a)

on the fly method

NAP

NAP

MTA

NAP
b)

NAP

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Mobility Functions
4. Registration/Deregistration
User registration

Default registration
Local registration
Remote registration
Registration through profiles

User Deregistration

Local deregistration
Remote deregistration
Forced deregistration

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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

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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 represen ted by

is represented by

is represented by

has

User Profile

User

Terminal

has

Network Access Point

Terminal Capability
h as

Physical Characteristics

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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?"

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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

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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

Terminal

Home Domain
Application

Visiting Domain

Client

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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

Terminal
Client

Home Domain
Application

Visiting Domain
Application

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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

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Mobility Functions

Terminal Y

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

Client

initiates

Application

Ex: Mobile IP

Terminal

Visiting Domain

Client

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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.
Home Domain
Nowadays it is not simple since
Application
complex tasks must be done, e.g.
Discover the Services/Facilities
available, install drivers, etc.
agent
One solution could be using
move
mobile agent technology
Terminal
Visiting Domain
Client

agent

Application

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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

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Conclusion
Generic Mobility Layer
Access Control
Registration
/Deregistration
User Profile Mgmt
Delivery of services

Identification

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

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