A novel QoS routing protocol for LEO and MEO satellite networks

The rapid advance of communication and satellite technology pushes broadband satellite networks to carry on multimedia traffic. However, the function of onboard routing cannot be provided in existing satellite networks with inter‐satellite links, and quality of service (QoS) of satellite networks cannot be reliably guaranteed because of great difficulties in processing of long distance‐dependent traffic. In this paper, a two‐layered low‐Earth orbit and medium‐Earth orbit satellite network (LMSN) is presented. A novel hierarchical and distributed QoS routing protocol (HDRP) is investigated, and an adaptive bandwidth‐constrained minimum‐delay path algorithm is developed to calculate routing tables efficiently using the QoS metric information composed of delays and bandwidth. The performance of LMSN and HDRP is also evaluated through simulations and theoretical analysis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Congestion management techniques for disruption‐tolerant satellite networks

Delay and disruption‐tolerant networks are becoming an appealing solution for extending Internet boundaries toward challenged environments where end‐to‐end connectivity cannot be guaranteed. In particular, satellite networks can take advantage of a priori trajectory estimations of nodes to make efficient routing decisions. Despite this knowledge is already used in routing schemes such as contact graph routing, it might derive in congestion problems because of capacity overbooking of forthcoming connections (contacts). In this work, we initially extend contact graph routing to provide enhanced congestion mitigation capabilities by taking advantage of the local traffic information available at each node. However, since satellite networks data generation is generally managed by a mission operation center, a global view of the traffic can also be exploited to further improve the latter scheme. As a result, we present a novel strategy to avoid congestion in predictable delay‐ and disruption‐tolerant network systems by means of individual contact plans. Finally, we evaluate and compare the performance improvement of these mechanisms in a typical low Earth orbit satellite constellation.     

A multicast routing algorithm for LEO satellite IP networks

Satellite networks provide global coverage and support a wide range of services. Since low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites provide short round-trip delays, they are becoming increasingly important for real-time applications such as voice and video traffic. Many applications require a mechanism to deliver information to multiple recipients. A multicast routing algorithm for datagram traffic is introduced for LEO satellite IP networks. The new scheme creates multicast trees by using the datagram routing algorithm. The bandwidth utilization and delay characteristics are assessed through simulations     

Performance of delay‐sensitive traffic in multi‐layered satellite IP networks with on‐board processing capability

In this article, performance of delay‐sensitive traffic in multi‐layered satellite Internet Protocol (IP) networks with on‐board processing (OBP) capability is investigated. With OBP, a satellite can process the received data, and according to the nature of application, it can decide on the transmission properties. First, we present a concise overview of relevant aspects of satellite networks to delay‐sensitive traffic and routing. Then, in order to improve the system performance for delay‐sensitive traffic, specifically Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a novel adaptive routing mechanism in two‐layered satellite network considering the network's real‐time information is introduced and evaluated. Adaptive Routing Protocol for Quality of Service (ARPQ) utilizes OBP and avoids congestion by distributing traffic load between medium‐Earth orbit and low‐Earth orbit layers. We utilize a prioritized queueing policy to satisfy quality‐of‐service (QoS) requirements of delay‐sensitive applications while evading non‐real‐time traffic suffer low performance level. The simulation results verify that multi‐layered satellite networks with OBP capabilities and QoS mechanisms are essential for feasibility of packet‐based high‐quality delay‐sensitive services which are expected to be the vital components of next‐generation communications networks. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MLSR: a novel routing algorithm for multilayered satellite IPnetworks

Several IP-based routing algorithms have been developed for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks in recent years. The performance of the satellite IP networks can be improved drastically if multiple satellite constellations are used in the architecture. A multilayered satellite IP network is introduced that consists of LEO, medium-Earth orbit (MEO) and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites. A new multilayered satellite routing (MLSR) algorithm is developed that calculates routing tables efficiently using the collected delay measurements. The performance of the multilayered satellite network and MLSR is evaluated through simulations and analysis     

A distributed routing algorithm for datagram traffic in LEOsatellite networks

Satellite networks provide global coverage and support a wide range of services, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites provide short round-trip delays and are becoming increasingly important. One of the challenges in LEO satellite networks is the development of specialized and efficient routing algorithms. In this work, a datagram routing algorithm for LEO satellite networks is introduced. The algorithm generates minimum propagation delay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated through simulations. The robustness issues of the algorithm are also discussed     

A dynamic routing concept for ATM-based satellite personalcommunication networks

Satellite systems are going to build a part of the future personal communications infrastructure. The first-generation candidates for satellite personal communication networks (S-PCN) will rely on low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellations. A noticeable trend in this field is toward broadband services and the use of ATM. For LEO satellite systems employing intersatellite links (ISLs), this paper proposes an overall networking concept that introduces the strengths of ATM to their operation. The core of the paper is the design of a new routing scheme for the periodically time-variant ISL subnetwork, discrete-time dynamic virtual topology routing (DT-DVTR), and its ATM implementation. DT-DVTR works completely off line, i.e., prior to the operational phase of the system. In a first step, a virtual topology is set up for all successive time intervals of the system period, providing instantaneous sets of alternative paths between all source-destination node pairs. In the second step, path sequences over a series of time interval are chosen from that according to certain optimization procedures. An ATM-based implementation of DT-DVTR in LEO satellite ISL networks is presented with some emphasis on the optimization alternatives, and the performance in terms of delay jitter is evaluated for an example ISL topology     

Implementation of a geographical routing scheme for low Earth orbiting satellite constellations using intersatellite links

A major problem for low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations with intersatellite links is the efficient routing of the data packets through such a highly dynamic network. In order to achieve a worldwide coverage even in remote areas and Internet access with a limited amount of gateway stations, intersatellite links are a promising approach. Since LEO constellations represent a distinct, highly dynamic routing environment, specific strategies are needed. To this end, a suitable geographical routing scheme is proposed and investigated in two Walker Star constellations. The proposed scheme targets reliable transmissions with low latency and high data rates. The approach is based on a geographical address identifier in Layer 2 of the communication stack. The globe is thus divided into geographical areas that determine this identifier in the MAC address of the terminals. As mobile terminals are considered, the MAC addressing scheme is flexible, whereas the IP addresses of the terminals remain static. This decoupling allows for flexibility in the choice of the address resolution scheme. Moreover, the geographical identifier in the MAC address enables fast routing table lookups and switching. The proposed routing scheme also takes possible overloads of the satellites due to traffic into account and applies a rerouting procedure. When a packet arrives in the geographical area of the destination terminal, a local rerouting scheme is applied if needed. The proposed approaches take handover events that possibly occur during a transmission into account. Furthermore, the scan angles of the satellites have been adapted to the constellations to provide full coverage and high elevation angles. So a robust and adaptable routing scheme is provided for a dynamic environment where satellites and terminals are constantly moving. The proposed definitions and procedures have been implemented in a system level simulator, which allows for comparisons with adjustable parameters in various scenarios. In this work, an Iridium‐like constellation and a megaconstellation are investigated and compared regarding the address resolution procedures, the average end‐to‐end transmission delay, and the dropping and rerouting rates. Additionally, the signaling overhead is compared with other approaches. The simulator and results of the simulations provide grounds for further research w.r.t. the routing in satellite constellations using intersatellite links.     

A distributed QoS routing based on ant algorithm for LEO satellite network

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites provide short round-trip delays and are becoming in- creasingly important. One of the challenges in LEO satellite networks is the development of specialized and efficient routing algorithms. To satisfy the QoS requirements of multimedia applications, satellite routing protocols should consider handovers and minimize their effect on the active connections. A distributed QoS routing scheme based on heuristic ant algorithm is proposed for satisfying delay bound and avoiding link congestion. Simulation results show that the call blocking probabilities of this al- gorithm are less than that of Shortest Path First (SPF) with different delay bound.     

A delay‐centric parallel multi‐path routing protocol for cognitive radio ad hoc networks

In this paper, we develop a delay‐centric parallel multi‐path routing protocol for multi‐hop cognitive radio ad hoc networks. First, we analyze the end‐to‐end delay of multi‐path routing based on queueing theory and present a new dynamic traffic assignment scheme for multi‐path routing with the objective of minimizing end‐to‐end delay, considering both spectrum availability and link data rate. The problem is formulated as a convex problem and solved by a gradient‐based search method to obtain optimal traffic assignments. Furthermore, a heuristic decentralized traffic assignment scheme for multi‐path routing is presented. Then, based on the delay analysis and the 3D conflict graph that captures spectrum opportunity and interference among paths, we present a route discovery and selection scheme. Via extensive NS2‐based simulation, we show that the proposed protocol outperforms the benchmark protocols significantly and achieves the shortest end‐to‐end delay. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.