IEEE 802.21 MEDIA INDEPENDENT HANDOVER DCN: 21-09-00xx-00-sec Title: Media Specific vs Media Independent Date Submitted: October 15, 2009 Present at IEEE 802.21a Teleconference, October 15, 2009 Authors: Lily Chen (NIST) Abstract: This document raises some questions for 802.21a to discuss with regard to media specific vs media independent related concepts. The purpose is to clearly understand the implications about what has proposed and discussed so far in 21a. 21-09-00xx-00-sec

IEEE 802.21 presentation release statements This document has been prepared to assist the IEEE 802.21 Working Group. It is offered as a basis for discussion and is not binding on the contributing individual(s) or organization(s). The material in this document is subject to change in form and content after further study. The contributor(s) reserve(s) the right to add, amend or withdraw material contained herein. The contributor grants a free, irrevocable license to the IEEE to incorporate material contained in this contribution, and any modifications thereof, in the creation of an IEEE Standards publication; to copyright in the IEEE’s name any IEEE Standards publication even though it may include portions of this contribution; and at the IEEE’s sole discretion to permit others to reproduce in whole or in part the resulting IEEE Standards publication. The contributor also acknowledges and accepts that this contribution may be made public by IEEE 802.21. The contributor is familiar with IEEE patent policy, as stated in Section 6 of the IEEE-SA Standards Board bylaws <http://standards.ieee.org/guides/bylaws/sect6-7.html#6> and in Understanding Patent Issues During IEEE Standards Development http://standards.ieee.org/board/pat/faq.pdf>  21-09-00xx-00-sec

Background Currently, certain concepts are discussed with media specific or media independent “prefix”, such as Media specific authentication vs. media independent authentication Media specific authenticator vs. media independent authenticator Media specific EAP lower layer vs. media independent EAP lower layer Media specific AAA vs. media independent AAA … We need to clearly understand what these concepts mean and what are the implications.

Authentication in MN MN MIHF This is going to be a hard add on! Assume both MS and MI authentication are EAP based and MI authentication is executed in MIHF (remote message transport is from MIHF to MIHF). Do they share the same credential? Can they execute different EAP methods? Do these two EAP peer functions need to communicate? Please notice that EAP protocol or each EAP-Method is media independent. That is the same EAP peer can execute EAP as an access authentication for both IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.16. MN EAP Peer MIHF MI-EAP Peer 802.11 STA 802.16 MS This is going to be a hard add on! 21-09-00xx-00-sec

EAP Lower Layer EAP EAP IP 802.11 MIH IP 802.11 Media Specific Media Independent

AAA Server AAA MIHF Assume EAP Server is co-located with AAA Server If a service domain (an operator) will support MIH, then the same EAP/AAA server will be used for 802.11 access 802.16 access Other media access The key for different media access should be generated and distributed. If a service domain (an operator) does not support MIH, then add this function will not help. AAA MIHF MI-AAA MI-EAP Server EAP Server

Conclusion EAP protocol is media independent. We need to be very careful to make 21a as an “add-on” for the existing infrastructure established for media specific access. We need to ask What will gain by using the function/protocol specified in 21a, if MIH is supported?