Elsevier

Computer Networks

Volume 31, Issue 7, 8 April 1999, Pages 741-765
Computer Networks

Programmable mobile networks

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-7552(98)00298-0Get rights and content
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Abstract

Existing mobile systems (e.g., mobile IP, mobile ATM and third generation cellular systems) lack the intrinsic architectural flexibility to deal with the complexity of supporting adaptive mobile applications in wireless and mobile environments. We believe that there is a need to develop alternative network architectures from the existing ones to deal with the demands placed on underlying mobile signalling, adaptation management and wireless transport systems in support of new mobile services, e.g. interactive multimedia and web access. In this paper we present the design, implementation and evaluation of mobiware, a middleware technology that enables the introduction of new services in mobile networks. Mobiware provides a toolkit that service providers can utilize to build services that can dynamically exploit the intrinsic scalable properties of mobile multimedia applications in response to time-varying mobile network conditions. Based on an open programmable networking paradigm, mobiware runs on mobile devices, wireless access points and mobile-capable switch/routers providing a set of open programmable interfaces and distributed objects for adaptive mobile networking. Mobiware is software-intensive and is built on CORBA and Java distributed object technologies. The source code for mobiware v1.0 is freely available (comet.columbia.edu/mobiware) for experimentation.

Keywords

Mobiware toolkit
QoS controlled handoff
Flow bundling
Mobile soft-state
Active filtering

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Andrew T. Campbell (www.comet.columbia/∼campbell) joined the E.E. faculty at Columbia as an Assistant Professor in January 1996 from Lancaster University where he conducted research in multimedia communications as a British Telecom Research Lecturer. Before joining Lancaster University, Dr. Campbell worked for 10 years in industry focusing on the design and development of network operating systems, communication protocols for packet-switched and local area networks, and tactical wireless communication systems. Dr. Campbell is a member of the COMET Group at Columbia's Center for Telecommunications Research where he is conducting research in wireless media systems (www.comet.columbia.edu/wireless). His current research interests include the development of programmable mobile networks, cellular IP networks and programmable router technologies.

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Michael E. Kounavis (www.comet.columbia/∼mk) is a Ph.D candidate and Graduate Research Assistant at COMET Group, Columbia University. He received his Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece (NTUA) in 1996 and his M.Sc. degree from Columbia in 1998. His current research focuses on the technology of programmable virtual networks. Over the past two years he has been actively involved in mobile network programmability and active transport over wireless links.

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Raymond R.-F. Liao (www.comet.columbia/∼liao) joined the COMET Group, Columbia University in 1996 as a Ph.D. student and Graduate Research Assistant. Before that, he worked at Newbridge Networks, Canada for 3 years on ATM product performance analysis and traffic management. He received the M.A.Sc. degree in fault-tolerant ATM switch design and queueing analysis from the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada, in 1993, and the Bachelor degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, in 1990. His current research focuses on realizing adaptive-QOS in wireless/mobile multimedia networks with middleware methodologies including distributed computing and network economics.