Re: Internal WG Review: MIPv6 Signaling and Handoff Optimization (mipshop)

["James Kempf" <kempf@docomolabs-usa.com>]

> I'd also note that there is apparently more than one IRTF WG proposal in
> this area;  Bill Arbaugh is also proposing formation of an IRTF WG.
Given
> that IEEE 802 has recently started up two new study groups on Handoff
> (Handoff ECSG and the new Fast Handoff Study Group), I'm becoming
concerned
> about the proliferation of Research and Study Group efforts in this area.
>

I think it might be worthwhile to fold Bill's effort into the Mobility RG.

>From a technical standpoint, part of the problem here is that there is a
good deal of interaction between L2 and L3 required for fast handoff to work
in a secure manner. The 3G RAN protocols solve this problem by using a
centralized controller approach and engineering the protocols so that they
are deeply intertwined (and intertwined with ATM on which they run). I don't
think the centralized approach should be used for IP and 802 protocols,
however.

IEEE has been edging into access network protocols in a haphazard way for
years (802.11i & f), but the results have not been any more successful than
in the IETF. I'm not sure what IETF can do about this, except through
efforts of folks such as yourself that have the time and interest to attend
both standardization groups. In an ideal world, there would be some kind of
joint work between IEEE and IETF on access network protocols that would work
for the growing suite of IEEE radio MAC and PHY protocols, and this work may
be of interest for next generation 3G systems as well, but that seems
unlikely to happen. The current theory is that the IRTF group would be the
place for this work to happen on the IETF side, and maybe we can attract
some IEEE folks as well.

Do you have any other suggestions about how to proceed?

            jak