Patent ID: 8699433
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method implemented by a network element in a wide area network, the network element functioning as a home agent (HA) for a mobile node (MN) communicating with a corresponding node (CN) using Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6), the method comprising the steps of: selecting by the HA a virtual home agent (VHA) in the network to provide home agent services to the MN with a better quality of service than the HA based on pre-defined policies; sending a host test initiate message to the CN to obtain a home keygen token from the CN, the home keygen token to authenticate the HA; receiving a host test message from the CN including the home keygen token; sending a flow switch request (FSR) message to the selected VHA, the FSR message including the home keygen token, an address of the CN and a care-of address of the MN, the FSR message to cause the selected VHA to generate and send a care-of test initiate message and binding update message that direct the CN to send data traffic for the MN to the selected VHA instead of the HA, the FSR message to cause the selected VHA to establish a tunnel to the MN; and receiving a flow switch acknowledgement (FSA) message from the VHA indicating that the selected VHA has successfully redirected the data traffic from the CN and is tunneling the data traffic to the care-of address of the MN, whereby the MN receives a better quality of service when communicating with the CN through the VHA than through the HA.