A QoS Architecture for Multi-user Mobile Multimedia Services in the Next Generation IP Networks
Authors
Abstract
Next generation IP wireless networks are envisioned to be heterogeneous and to support ubiquitous services to mobile users with different quality of service (QoS) requirements. Furthermore, in order to attract and keep customers, mobile operators are expanding their portfolio with the inclusion of publish-subscribe services, such as IP television, business presentation, remote learning and entertainment. However, to allow the distribution of these services throughout heterogeneous wireless networks with no perceived service degradation to the mobile users, it is required the control of the mobility, connectivity and quality level of the announced services across domains/clusters which may support different access and transport technologies.In order to control the mobility, connectivity and QoS of publish-subscribe services in the next generation IP networks, the University of Coimbra is working with DoCoMo Euro-Labs on a control architecture for publish-subscribe services over an IP-based mobile system, called QoS Architecture for Multi-user Mobile Multimedia (Q3M). The Q3M architecture aims to control the distribution of published services to groups of mobile users across heterogeneous environments, providing seamless mobility to users possessing different QoS requirements.
The Q3M solution is achieved by the integration of three main components as well as the interaction of them with existing standards, where The Multi-User Session Control (MUSC) component controls inter-cluster QoS mapping and adaptation and connectivity of sessions between heterogeneous clusters. The Multi-service Resource Allocation (MIRA) component manages the resources of multiple network services classes, and the IP multicast connectivity inside a cluster. Finally, the Cache-based Seamless Mobility (CASM) controls the mobility of users inside and between clusters without revealing to them any discontinuity point. The components, benefits and functionalities of the Q3M architecture are described in this paper, and some simulation results concerning the analysis of the session setup mechanisms are presented.