On the Evaluation of the Extended Generic Internet Signalling Protocol

In the Beyond 3G (B3G) vision convergence and plug&play are central concepts. The convergence of different networks, originally targeting different applicability domains, is envisioned for enabling ubiquitous connectivity and a broader set of services from users’ perspective. Also, the advent of small user owned networks dynamically connecting to other networks while users move around and the increasing dynamics of the relationships between network operators, so far statically established, lead to new paradigms. Considering this, the IST Ambient Networks project is investigating two new concepts, Network Composition and Ambient Network, that enable the dynamic and uniform interworking of networks regardless their type or size. The Generic Ambient Network Signalling (GANS) protocol is defined to support this dynamic interworking. GANS is divided in two parts: application layer and transport layer. This paper concentrates on the transport layer which includes the Extended Generic Internet Signalling Protocol (EGIST). The evaluation of EGIST from scalability viewpoint by means of simulations and theoretical analysis is presented.