Y-Comm Research

What is Y-Comm?

Y-Comm is a new architecture for mobile heterogeneous networking. The architecture is built on a number of observations about how the Internet is evolving. The first is that several wireless networks are being deployed hence mobile phones will soon contain many wireless interfaces. There is therefore a need to provide users with seamless communication between these interfaces. The second observation is that the widespread use of wireless networks will be a significant evolutionary step in the history of the Internet. We therefore should now think of the Internet as comprising of two frameworks. The first framework is called the Peripheral Framework and the second framework is called the Core Framework. Each Framework is composed of seven layers. The two frameworks are given below:

The Peripheral Framework

Core Framework

The Core Framework

The Y-Comm Architecture

YComm Framework

The Y-Comm Framework

The two frameworks are combined to form a Y, hence Y-Comm.

The Complete Y-Comm Framework with Security Model

The Security Model in Y-Comm

Y-Comm uses a 4-layer security model which is integrated into the two frameworks. This allows Y-Comm to explore new security paradigms.

Understanding Y-Comm

In August this year, we presented a talk at the PURSUIT summer school about the future internet (PDF, 1MB).

To fully understand the key concepts in Y-Comm we presented two talks, given at ICMC, University of Sao Paulo (USP) in August 2008.

The History of Y-Comm

Y-Comm came about because of work that was done on the Cambridge Wireless Testbed which was built to study vertical handover. This testbed was built using several networks including WLANs, GPRS and LANs. End devices consisted of desktop machines doing handovers between GPRS and local LAN as well as HP iPaQs doing handover between WLAN and LAN systems.

The Cambridge Wireless Testbed built mechanisms to implement client-based vertical handover in which the mobile node and not the network controls vertical handover. So the mobile monitors the state of its various network interfaces and decides when and where handover should occur. In addition to client-based handover, a reactive policy mechanism called PROTON was invented to look at when handover should occur. PROTON was written PONDER, a policy language developed at Imperial College.

After this effort, the key issue became: how would you build a commercial network to do seamless vertical handover? It soon became clear that a new framework was needed to build future mobile systems. Traditional frameworks such as the OSI model are inadequate to meet these challenges and so Y-Comm was born.

The Y-Comm Global Research Group

Several institutions are involved in the development and implementation of the Y-Comm architecture.

They are listed below:

The School of Engineering and Information Sciences (EIS), Middlesex University is involved in looking at Policy Management Algorithms for Vertical Handover, Quality-of-Service (QoS), network and transport services, security and mobile environments. Dr Glenford Mapp has been involved in specifying the functions in the layers of the Y-Comm architecture. He has also been looking at network and transport issues in wireless networks in the context of Y-Comm. Mahdi Aiash is working on an Integrated Security Module (ISM) and Targeted Security Models (TSMs) for Y-Comm. Fragkiskos Sardis has just begun his PhD research, looking at Mobile Service Mechanisms in which services move around to give better support to mobile users. Ann Samuels is about to start a part-time PhD looking new business models for mobile operators to facilitate the implementation of Y-Comm on commercial networks.

Fatema Shaikh has pioneered a mathematically-based model for predicting vertical handover. She has also looked at supporting QoS over varying wireless communications. Fatema, who graduated in 2010, continues her research at the British Institute of Technology and Ecommerce (BITE).

The Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge has been involved in the original Cambridge Wireless Testbed. Professor Jon Crowcroft has been looking at new Internet architectures in the context of Y-Comm. David Cottingham who graduated in 2010, investigated knowledge-based policy management for vertical handover. This was done using a Sentient Van to collect readings on wireless networks around the city of Cambridge.

The Institute of Sciences, Mathematics and Computing (ICMC) at the University of Saō Paulo (USP), in San Carlos, Brazil has been examining how communication architectures such as Y-Comm could be specified using ontologies. This work is being led by Professor Edson Moreira. Renata Porto Vanni who worked on an ontology for the communication elements within the Y-Comm network graduated in 2010 and continues to work with the group. Mário Augusto, a PhD research student, is looking at the interface between the Network providers and Service Platforms.

The Department of Computer Science at the Federal University of San Carlos, Brazil is working on implementing the Network Abstraction Layer in Y-Comm using the IEEE 802.21 specification. This work is being led by Professor Hélio Guardia and is being done along with ICMC and EIS.

The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, UK is interested in looking at security for future communication systems. Dr Raphael Phan is working with Mahdi Aiash on new security mechanisms for the Y-Comm architecture.

The Centre for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) is involved in looking at mobile systems. Wayne Butcher is looking at Mobile Server Platforms.

Contact:

Developing Y-Comm is a huge effort and so we welcome input from other groups, if you are interested please contact Glenford Mapp by email: g.mapp@mdx.ac.uk.

Y-Comm Publications

Below is a list of papers that are related to the development of the Y-Comm architecture:

White Papers

Mahdi Aiash, Glenford Mapp, Aboubaker Lasebae, Raphael Phan, Mario Augusto, Renata Vanni and Edson Moreira: Enhancing Naming and Location Services to support Multi-homed Devices in Heterogeneous Environments. In the Proceedings of the First Global Conference on Communication, Science and Information Engineering, 25- 27 July 2011, Middlesex University, London.
Mahdi Aiash, Glenford Mapp, Aboubaker Lasebae, Mario Augusto, Renata Porto Vanni and Edson Moreira: A QoS Framework for Heterogeneous Networking: In the Proceedings of the International Conference on Wireless Networks 2011 (ICWN’11), 6th – 8th July 2011, London.
Glenford Mapp G, Mahdi Aaish, Hélio Guardia, Jon Crowcroft : Exploring Multi-homing Issues in Heterogeneous Environments: In Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Protocols and Applications with Multi-homing Support in Biopolis, Singapore 22nd- 25th March 2011.
Glenford Mapp, Fatema Shaikh, Mahdi Aiash, Renata Porto Vanni, Mario Augusto and Edson Moreira, Exploring Efficient Imperative Handover Mechanisms for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks, International Symposium on Emerging Ubiquitous and Pervasive Systems (EUPS-09) August 2009.
Glenford Mapp, Fatema Shaikh, David Cottingham, Jon Crowcroft, Javier Baliosian: A Global Architecture for Heterogeneous Networking (Invited Paper). 3rd Annual International Wireless Internet Conference (WICON 2007), October 2007. Please also see the extended version of this paper.
Glenford Mapp, David N. Cottingham, Fatema Shaikh, Pablo Vidales, Leo Patanapongpibul, Javier Balioisian, Jon Crowcroft, An Architectural Framework for Heterogeneous Networking.(139kb) International Conference on Wireless Information Networks and Systems (WINSYS), August 2006.

Client-Based handover

Leo B Patanapongpibul, Glenford Mapp, Andy Hopper, An End-System Approach to Mobility Management for 4G Networks and its Application to Thin-Client Computing. (630kb) ACM SIGMOBILE Mobile Computing and Communications Review, ACM, July 2006.
Leo B Patanapongpibul, Glenford Mapp, A Client-based Handoff Mechanism for Mobile IPv6 Wireless Networks. (119kb) 8th IEEE Symposium on Computers and Communications (ISCC), IEEE Computer Society Press, June 2003.

Cambridge Wireless Testbed Papers

P. Vidales, J. Baliosian, J. Serrat, G. Mapp, F. Stajano, A. Hopper, Autonomic Systems for Mobility Support in 4G Networks. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Volume 23, Number 12, IEEE, December 2005.
David N. Cottingham, Pablo A. Vidales, Is Latency the Real Enemy in Next Generation Networks? First International Workshop on Convergence of Heterogeneous Wireless Networks, July 2005.
P. Vidales, C.J. Bernardos, G. Mapp, F. Stajano, J. Crowcroft, A Practical Approach for 4G Systems: Deployment of Overlay Networks. (424kb) First International Conference on Testbeds and Research Infrastructures for the DEvelopment of NeTworks and COMmunities (Tridentcom 2005 Best Paper Award), IEEE Computer Society Press, February 2005.
Pablo Vidales, Leo Patanapongpibul, Glenford Mapp, Andy Hopper, Experiences with Heterogeneous Wireless Networks? Unveiling the Challenges.(211kb) Second International Working Conference on Performance Modeling and Evaluation of Heterogeneous Networks (HET-NETs), July 2004.

Policy Management Mechanisms for Vertical Handover

Reactive Policy Management Systems

Pablo Vidales, Seamless Mobility in 4G Systems. Technical report, UCAM-CL-TR-656, University of Cambridge, November 2005.
P. Vidales, R. Chakravorty, C. Policroniades, PROTON: A Policy-based Solution for Future 4G devices. 5th. IEEE International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (IEEE POLICY 2004), June 2004.

Proactive Policy Management Systems

Fatema Shaikh F, Glenford Mapp G and Aboubaker Lasebae: A Survey of Network Coverage Prediction Mechanisms in 4G Heterogeneous Wireless Networks: In the Proceedings of the First Global Conference on Communication, Science and Information Engineering, 25th- 27th July 2011, Middlesex University, London.
F. Shaikh, Intelligent Proactive Handover and QoS Management using TBVH in Heterogeneous Network, 2010.
David N Cottingham, Vehicular Wireless Communication Technical Report, UCAM-CL-TR-741, University of Cambridge, 2009.
David N. Cottingham, Robert K. Harle, Andy Hopper, Constructing Accurate, Space-Efficient, Wireless Coverage Maps for Vehicular Contexts. The 4th International Wireless Internet Conference (ICST WICON), November 2008.
F.Shaikh, A.Lasebae and Mapp GE, Proactive Policy Management for Heterogeneous Networks (423kb) . In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies: From Theory to Applications (ICTTA 2008). April 2008.
F. Shaikh, G. E. Mapp and Lasebae A. Proactive Policy Management using TBVH Mechanism in Heterogeneous Networks (306kb). Proceedings of the International Conference and Exhibition on NEXT GENERATION MOBILE APPLICATIONS, SERVICES and TECHNOLOGIES “Building Bridges in the Mobile World”, NGMAST’07, Cardiff, Wales, UK, September 12th – 14th 2007.
David N. Cottingham, Ian J. Wassell, Robert K. Harle, Performance of IEEE 802.11a in Vehicular Contexts. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, Pages 854-858, April 2007.

Downward Quality-of-Service (QoS)

F. Shaikh, A. Lasebae and Mapp G. Client-based SBM Layer for Predictive Management of Traffic Flows in Heterogeneous Networks. ICTTA’06 2nd IEEE International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies: From Theory to Applications. April 24th – 28th 2006, Umayyad Palace, Damascus, Syria.
F. Shaikh, A.Lasebae and G. Mapp G. SBM Layer for Optimum Management of Co-existing Telemedicine Traffic Streams under Varying Channel Conditions in Heterogeneous Networks. (539kb) Proc. MIT’05. August 2005.

Security

Mahdi Aiash, Glenford Mapp, Aboubaker Lasebae and Raphael Phan: Exploring the Concept of Scope to Provide Better Security for Internet Services: In the Proceedings at the First Global Conference on Communication, Science and Information Engineering, 25th- 27th July 2011, Middlesex University, London.
G. Mapp, M. Aiash, A. Lasebae and R. Phan: Security Models for Heterogeneous Networking: Presented at the International Conference on Security and Cryptography (SECRYPT 2010), Athens Greece 26th – 28th July 2010.
M. Aiash, G. Mapp, A. Lasebae A. and R. Phan: Providing Security in 4G Systems: Unveiling the Challenges. The Sixth Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications, AICT 2010, May 9th – 15th 2010, Barcelona, Spain.

Mobile servers and services

F. Sardis, G. Mapp and J. Loo: On Demand Service Delivery for Mobile Networks: In the proceeding of The First International Conference on Mobile Services, Resources and Users (Mobility 2011) 23rd – 29th October 2011, Barcelona, Spain.

QOS and Performance Evaluation

Y. Kirsal, E. Gemikonakli, E. Ever, G. Mapp and O. Gemikonakli: An Analytical Approach for Performance Analysis of Handoffs in the Next Generation Integrated Cellular Networks and WLANs: In Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Performance Modeling and Evaluation of Computer and Telecommunication Networks (PMECT 2010) in Zurich, Switzerland 2nd – 5th August 2010

Ontology and Handover

E. D. S. Moreira, D. Cottingham, J. Crowcroft, P. Hui, G. E. Mapp and R. M. P. Vanni: Exploiting Contextual Handover Information for Versatile Services in NGN Environments. (1.28mb) 2nd Intenational Conference on Digital Information Management (IEEE ICDIM), October 2007, Lyon France.
R. M .P. Vanni, K. R. L. J. C. Branco, E. S. Moreira, G. Mapp: Information for Handover Management in Heterogeneous Networks: data representation, languages and integrated platforms. 7th CONTECSI - International Conference on Information Systems and
Technology Management, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 19-21 May, 2010, pp. 1-13.

Y-Comm Requests for Comments (yRFCs) - A New Discussion Forum on Y-Comm

yRFCs are discussion documents about the design, development and implementation of the Y-Comm architecture. Do have a read and get involved.