A mobility management scheme using SCTP-SIP for real-time services across heterogeneous networks.

ABSTRACTThe Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has been enhanced to support seamless mobility in heterogeneous networks. However, it still suffers from significant handoff delays and packet losses unacceptable for real-time multimedia services. In this paper, we propose a mobility management scheme for real-time services across heterogeneous networks that combines SIP and Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). Our scheme ensures transport-layer continuance through the multi-homing functionality of SCTP while maintaining location and network transparency through SIP without the use of re-invite message signaling. An evaluation of our approach demonstrates that it provides seamless mobility while satisfying the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for real-time multimedia services without any changes in the underlying network infrastructure.