Patent ID: 8811329

Claim:
A method implemented in a network element in a wide area network, the network element functioning as a control node for a mobile node (MN) communicating with a corresponding node (CN), the method comprising the steps of: selecting by the control node a virtual agent in the network to provide mobility services to the MN, the virtual agent representing a set of mobile resources proximate to the MN, the virtual agent selected such that the MN receives a better quality of service when communicating with the CN through the virtual agent; sending a provisioning message to the selected virtual agent, the provisioning message including parameters for a session between the MN and CN and the provisioning message including a care-of address for the MN and an address of the CN, the provisioning message to initiate a flow redirection at the virtual agent; and receiving a provisioning acknowledgement message from the virtual agent indicating that the virtual agent is receiving data packets from the CN and forwarding the data packets to the MN at the care-of address.