Performance Evaluation of Handover Protocols in Software Defined Networking Environment

Smooth handovers of Mobile Nodes (MN) between different points of attachments to the network ensures seamless connectivity when users move from one place to another. In IP based wireless networks, Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) protocol manages handover issues, which has evolved with time to take many different forms. In this paper, we explore the softwarization of wireless networks with special regard to mobility management. We modify the legacy mobility management protocols to accommodate Software Defined Networking (SDN) features and measure their performance using simulations. The considered performance indicators include time to complete the handover process and the number of steps required for the same.