Performance analysis and optimization of a mobility support ATM switch

In wireless communication networks, handoff management is one of the challenging areas in order to maintain the connectivity and its efficiency in handling the mobile users. A handoff switch is defined as a point in the network from which a new sub-path to new base station is established. It should have functions for rerouting and buffering. We propose an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch with handoff support functions, which may perform buffering and rerouting efficiently, achieves in-sequence cell transmission and minimizes the cell loss during a handoff. Buffering is needed in the mobility support ATM switch to reduce the cell loss probability (CLP) with tolerable delay maintaining in-sequence cell delivery, which is not available in ATM switch. A mobility support ATM switch with fully shared input buffer functionality is analyzed with required optimum buffer size under bursty (on-off) traffic maintaining the quality of service (QoS) contract.