1. 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 a Teleconference, October 15, 2009
Authors: Lily Chen (NIST)
Abstract: This document raises some questions for a 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.
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2. IEEE 802.21 presentation release statements
This document has been prepared to assist the IEEE 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.
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The contributor is familiar with IEEE patent policy, as stated in Section 6 of the IEEE-SA Standards Board bylaws < and in Understanding Patent Issues During IEEE Standards Development
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3. 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.

4. 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 and IEEE MN
EAP Peer
MIHF
MI-EAP Peer
STA MS
This is going to be a hard add on!
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5. EAP Lower Layer EAP EAP IP 802.11 MIH IP 802.11 Media Specific
Media Independent

6. 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
access
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

7. 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?