Abstract

This thesis aims to improve a satellite communication network which carries both data streams and Voice over IP (VoIP) communication sessions with resource reservation. The resource reservations are made using the standard protocols for Traffic Engineering: MPLS-TE and RSVP-TE. The goal of this thesis project is to optimize the number of concurrent VoIP calls that can be made, in order to use the available bandwidth while maintaining a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) level, which is not possible in the existing system. This thesis proposes and evaluates a solution to this optimization problem in the specific context of a satellite modem system that was developed by Thales Communications. This optimization improves the system's ability to carry VoIP communications through better use of the available transmission resources. A solution to this problem would also increase the  exibility in bandwidth allocation within the modem system, and could provide a framework for future development. The proposed solution allows all of the reservable bandwidth to be used.  The amount of reservable bandwidth must be at least a little lower than the channel's available bandwidth in order to avoid congestion. Some areas of future work are proposed. Detta projekt har försökt förbättra ett datornätverk bestående av satelliter som används till både data och Voice over IP (VoIP) kommunikation. VoIP använder sig av resursreservation som bestäms av standardprotokollen för Traffic Engineering, MPLS-TE och RSVP-TE.  Målet är att optimera antalet samtidiga VoIP samtal så att det mesta av den befintliga bandbredden kan utnyttjas samtidigt som Quality of Service (QoS) kan garanteras. Detta är omöjligt i det befintliga systemet. Projektet föreslår en lösning för problemet med modemet som utvecklas av Thales Communications och utvärderar därefter lösningen. Dessa optimeringar förbättrar systemets förmåga att driva VoIP kommunikationer genom att bättre använda de befintliga resurserna. En lösning för det här problemet skulle höja systemets flexibilitet och kunna användas som underlag för kommande utvecklingar. Tack vare lösningen kan hela utsedda bandbredden reserveras. Antalet bandbredd som kan reserveras måsta vara minst lite lågre än total befintling bandbredd för att undvika överbelastning. även några möjliga ideer för vidare undersökning föreslås. Ce projet a pour but d'améliorer un réseau de communication par satellite utilisé pour transporter des flux de données ainsi que des sessions de communication Voix sur IP (VoIP) avec réservation de ressources. Les réservations sont prises en charge par les protocoles standard de Traffic Engineering que sont MPLS-TE et RSVP-TE. L'objectif de ce projet est d'optimiser le nombre d'appels VoIP pouvant être passés en parallèle afin d'utiliser autant de bande passante que possible tout en offrant un niveau de Qualité de Service (QoS) garanti, chose impossible dans le système actuel. Ce rapport propose et évalue une solution à ce problème d'optimisation dans le contexte spécifique du modem satellite développé par Thales Communications. Ces optimisations amélioreraient la capacité du système à transporter des communications VoIP grâce à une meilleure utilisation des ressources disponibles pour la transmission. Une solution à ce problème rendrait aussi l'allocation de ressources plus flexible au sein du système, et pourrait fournir une base à de futurs développements. La solution proposée permet l'utilisation de toute la bande passante réservable. La quantité réservable doit être un peu inférieure à la bande passante totale disponible afin d'éviter la congestion. Les résultats de ces évaluations sont exposés. Enfin, ce rapport propose de futurs développements possibles.

Abstract

This paper presents the PhD work conducted by Na TAO. The director of this thesis is Professor Michel BOUSQUET. The study is supervised by Alain PIROVANO and Jose RADZIK. This PhD work has started January 2006 and will end in December 2008. Two concurrent satellite systems are presently proposed for in-flight entertainment (IFE) communications, thus demonstrating the capability of satellites to provide multimedia access to users on board airplanes. At the same time, an increasing interest for the use of satellite communications for air traffic control has been motivated by the increasing load of traditional radio links, mainly in the VHF band. However, the development of a dedicated satellite system for ATC (Air Traffic Control) and ATN (Aeronautical Telecommunication Network) seems to be a long-term perspective. The objective of the presented system design is to provide both passenger application traffic (Internet, GSM) access and a high-reliability channel for aeronautical applications using the same satellite links. Due to the constraints in capacity and radio bandwidth allocation, very high frequencies (above 20 GHz) are considered here. The corresponding design implications for the air interface are taken into account and access performances are derived using a dedicated simulation model. Some preliminary results are shown in this paper to demonstrate the technical feasibility of such system design with increased capacity, more details and the open issues will be studied in the future of the thesis research.

Abstract

Broadband satellite constellation networks will be required to carry all types of IP traffic, real time interactive traffic as well as non-real time traffic, warranting the need for appropriate QoS for these different traffic flows. In this paper we investigate the need for MPLS traffic engineering in GEO/MEO/LEO satellite networks to address QoS issues. We compare the service received by TCP and UDP flows when they share a link and when they are routed on explicit MPLS traffic trunks. Since MPLS traffic trunks allow non-shortest path links also to be used, the total network throughput goes up with proper traffic engineering. If UDP and TCP flows are mixed in a trunk, TCP flows receive reduced service as the UDP flows increase their rates. Also, we found that with MPLS traffic engineering we can protect real time traffic and VoIP traffic from packet loss and excessive jitter by separating them from other congestion unresponsive flows Peer Reviewed