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Re: [802.21] SAP semantics



Title:
Phillip Barber wrote:
My quick answer is 'Yes'.
 
The SAP is just a focal point for communications in the model.
 
While for any specific message exchange through a SAP the roles of the participants are set, the roles of the participants may change from message exchange-to-message exchange. In one exchange the MS may be a service user. In another exchange the MS may be a service provider.
Phil,

Based on your comment, I am assuming that you are arguing for a SAP to be bi-directional. And I agree with the statement that a SAP is a bi-directional point of communication. However, it does not imply that for a given functional/layered entity in the stack, there is only one point of service (SAP), otherwise, I would think we would have to change many current standard definitions. That is, the same SAP could be used for communication to the upper and lower layers.

Note that the question is:  should the same SAP be used for different functionality?

Regards,
-ajay
 
Thanks,
Phillip Barber
Chief Scientist
Broadband Wireless Solutions
Huawei Technologies Co., LTD.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 8:31 PM
Subject: Re: [802.21] SAP semantics

Phil, as the 802.16g SAP expert, what is your take on the following?

Can an entity (MIHF 802.21 in this case) that provides services through a SAP (MIH_SAP)
also obtain services (transport and delivery of commands to a remote MIHF)
through the same SAP?

Andrea wrote: I always thought that at the two ends of a SAP the roles of service user and
service provider are fixed. Is this not the case? Can the same entity (the MIHF
in our case) be at the same time a service provider and a service user with
respect to the same SAP?

Peretz Feder
    


On 9/3/2006 12:56 AM, Andrea Francini wrote:
Hello Everyone,

I have a very basic question from reading the latest 802.21 draft
(P802-21-D01-09):

In section 5.6 (page 29, line 34 through 40) I find the following statement:

"The MIH_SAP and associated primitives provide the interface from MIHF to the
upper layers of the mobility-management stack. Upper layers need to register
with MIHF as users to receive MIHF generated events and also for link layer
events that originate at layers below the MIHF but may be passed on to upper
layers through MIHF. Upper layers may directly send commands to MIHF. Similarly
MIHF entity may also send commands to another remote (peer) MIHF entity.
Primitives corresponding to all these services described above are within the
scope of MIH_SAP."

The statement indicates that MIHF provides services to a number of upper layers
(MIH users) through the MIH_SAP. Then the statement also seems to indicate (the
wording is not totally explicit) that MIHF can use MIH_SAP to send commands to a
remote MIHF entity.

My question is about the general SAP semantics: 

Can an entity (MIHF in this case) that provides services through a SAP (MIH_SAP)
also obtain services (transport and delivery of commands to a remote MIHF)
through the same SAP?

I always thought that at the two ends of a SAP the roles of service user and
service provider are fixed. Is this not the case? Can the same entity (the MIHF
in our case) be at the same time a service provider and a service user with
respect to the same SAP?

Thanks a lot,

Andrea