Scalable Schedule-Aware Bundle Routing

This thesis introduces approaches providing scalable delay-/disruption-tolerant routing capabilities in scheduled space topologies. The solution is developed for the requirements derived from use cases built according to predictions for future space topology, like the future Mars communications architecture report from the interagency operations advisory group. A novel routing algorithm is depicted to provide optimized networking performance that discards the scalability issues inherent to state-of-the-art approaches. This thesis also proposes a new recommendation to render volume management concerns generic and easily exchangeable, including a new simple management technique increasing volume awareness accuracy while being adaptable to more particular use cases. Additionally, this thesis introduces a more robust and scalable approach for internetworking between subnetworks to increase the throughput, reduce delays, and ease configuration thanks to its high flexibility.:1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation 1.2 Problem statement 1.3 Objectives 1.4 Outline 2 Requirements 2.1 Use cases 2.2 Requirements 2.2.1 Requirement analysis 2.2.2 Requirements relative to the routing algorithm 2.2.3 Requirements relative to the volume management 2.2.4 Requirements relative to interregional routing 3 Fundamentals 3.1 Delay-/disruption-tolerant networking 3.1.1 Architecture 3.1.2 Opportunistic and deterministic DTNs 3.1.3 DTN routing 3.1.4 Contact plans 3.1.5 Volume management 3.1.6 Regions 3.2 Contact graph routing 3.2.1 A non-replication routing scheme 3.2.2 Route construction 3.2.3 Route selection 3.2.4 Enhancements and main features 3.3 Graph theory and DTN routing 3.3.1 Mapping with DTN objects 3.3.2 Shortest path algorithm 3.3.3 Edge and vertex contraction 3.4 Algorithmic determinism and predictability 4 Preliminary analysis 4.1 Node and contact graphs 4.2 Scenario 4.3 Route construction in ION-CGR 4.4 Alternative route search 4.4.1 Yen’s algorithm scalability 4.4.2 Blocking issues with Yen 4.4.3 Limiting contact approaches 4.5 CGR-multicast and shortest-path tree search 4.6 Volume management 4.6.1 Volume obstruction 4.6.2 Contact sink 4.6.3 Ghost queue 4.6.4 Data rate variations 4.7 Hierarchical interregional routing 4.8 Other potential issues 5 State-of-the-art and related work 5.1 Taxonomy 5.2 Opportunistic and probabilistic approaches 5.2.1 Flooding approaches 5.2.2 PROPHET 5.2.3 MaxProp 5.2.4 Issues 5.3 Deterministic approaches 5.3.1 Movement-aware routing over interplanetary networks 5.3.2 Delay-tolerant link state routing 5.3.3 DTN routing for quasi-deterministic networks 5.3.4 Issues 5.4 CGR variants and enhancements 5.4.1 CGR alternative routing table computation 5.4.2 CGR-multicast 5.4.3 CGR extensions 5.4.4 RUCoP and CGR-hop 5.4.5 Issues 5.5 Interregional routing 5.5.1 Border gateway protocol 5.5.2 Hierarchical interregional routing 5.5.3 Issues 5.6 Further approaches 5.6.1 Machine learning approaches 5.6.2 Tropical geometry 6 Scalable schedule-aware bundle routing 6.1 Overview 6.2 Shortest-path tree routing for space networks 6.2.1 Structure 6.2.2 Tree construction 6.2.3 Tree management 6.2.4 Tree caching 6.3 Contact segmentation 6.3.1 Volume management interface 6.3.2 Simple volume manager 6.3.3 Enhanced volume manager 6.4 Contact passageways 6.4.1 Regional border definition 6.4.2 Virtual nodes 6.4.3 Pathfinding and administration 7 Evaluation 7.1 Methodology 7.1.1 Simulation tools 7.1.2 Simulator extensions 7.1.3 Algorithms and scenarios 7.2 Offline analysis 7.3 Eliminatory processing pressures 7.4 Networking performance 7.4.1 Intraregional unicast routing tests 7.4.2 Intraregional multicast tests 7.4.3 Interregional routing tests 7.4.4 Behavior with congestion 7.5 Requirement fulfillment 8 Summary and Outlook 8.1 Conclusion 8.2 Future works 8.2.1 Next development steps 8.2.2 Contact graph routin

Schedule‐Aware Bundle Routing: Analysis and enhancements

The Delay-/Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) architecture was designed to cope with challenges such as long delays and intermittent connectivity. To exploit the a priori knowledge of contacts, typical of space networks, NASA-JPL designed and included in ION (its DTN protocol suite) the Contact Graph Routing (CGR) algorithm. This paper studies the latest version, recently standardized as Schedule-Aware Bundle Routing (SABR) within the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS). The first part of the paper is devoted to the algorithm analysis, which distinguishes three logical phases to examine sequentially. Following this comprehensive study, three enhancements are proposed, which aim to improve SABR accuracy and resistance against possible loops. They are studied on a simple but challenging DTN topology, implemented on a virtual GNU/Linux testbed. Tests are performed by running the latest version of ION and an independent implementation of SABR developed by the authors, Unibo-CGR. The numerical results are then examined in detail to highlight both SABR mechanisms and the advantages offered by the proposed enhancements

Routing Heterogeneous Traffic in Delay-Tolerant Satellite Networks

Delay-tolerant networking (DTN) offers a novel architecture that can be used to enhance store-carry-forward routing in satellite networks. Since these networks can take advantage of scheduled contact plans, distributed algorithms like the Contact Graph Routing (CGR) can be utilized to optimize data delivery performance. However, despite the numerous improvements made to CGR, there is a lack of proposals to prioritize traffic with distinct quality of service (QoS) requirements. This study presents adaptations to CGR to improve QoS-compliant delivery ratio when transmitting traffic with different latency constraints, along with an integer linear programming optimization model that serves as a performance upper bound. The extensive results obtained by simulating different scenarios show that the proposed algorithms can effectively improve the delivery ratio and energy efficiency while meeting latency constraints

DTN performance analysis of multi‐asset Mars‐Earth communications

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Resource considerate data routing through satellite networks

In many envisaged satellite-based networks, such as constellations or federations, there often exists a desire to reduce data latency, increase delivered data volume, or simply exploit unused resources. A strategy is presented that achieves efficient routing of data, in a store-carry-forward fashion, through satellite networks that exhibit delay- and disruption-tolerant network characteristics. This network-layer protocol, termed Spae, exploits information about the schedule of future contacts between network nodes, because satellite motion is deterministic, along with the capacity of these contacts to route data in such a way as to avoid significant overcommitment of data along a resource limited journey. Results from simulations of a federated satellite system indicate consistent benefit in terms of network performance over other, less-sophisticated, conventional methods, and comparable performance to a packet-optimal, full-knowledge approach

A Source Routing Algorithm Based on CGR for DTN-Nanosatellite Networks

The number of nanosatellites orbiting around the Earth is increasing year after year. Nanosatellite constellations can be deployed to cover even larger areas. However, data exchange among nanosatellites is not trivial, especially due to the required hardware components related to the limited size and weight. Moreover, in some cases, contacts between nanosatellites and ground stations cannot always be guaranteed. The Delay and Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) paradigm allows storing data in nanosatellite and ground station buffers until the contact with the next hop is available. Routing in this kind of network is a crucial aspect. Delivery times are larger compared to a \u201cclassical\u201d network due to the time that data have to wait inside intermediate node buffers and to the limitation of available resources, especially on-board nanosatellites. The adoption of a smart routing strategy can contribute relieving this gap. In this paper, we propose S-CGR, a Source routing algorithm based on the Contact Graph Routing (CGR). It computes a routing path from source to destination nodes for each bundle, which is the data unit in DTN networks. S-CGR considers static and known a priori information about contacts (begin times, end times, and overall contact volumes) and dynamic information about nanosatellite buffer occupancies and available contact volumes. The complete source/destination paths are stored in the bundles. Intermediate nodes read the routin

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.Fil: Madoery, Pablo Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Fraire, Juan Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Finochietto, Jorge Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentin

Routing in the Space Internet: A contact graph routing tutorial

A Space Internet is possible, as long as the delay and disruption challenges imposed by the space environment are properly tackled. Because these conditions are not well addressed by terrestrial Internet, more capable Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols and algorithms are being developed. In particular, the principles and techniques for routing among ground elements and spacecraft in near-Earth orbit and deep-space are enacted in the Contact Graph Routing (CGR) framework. CGR blends a set of non-trivial algorithm adaptations, space operations concepts, time-dynamic scheduling, and specific graph models. The complexity of that framework suggests a need for a focused discussion to facilitate its direct and correct apprehension. To this end, we present an in-depth tutorial that collects and organizes first-hand experience on researching, developing, implementing, and standardizing CGR. Content is laid out in a structure that considers the planning, route search and management, and forwarding phases bridging ground and space domains. We rely on intuitive graphical examples, supporting code material, and references to flight-grade CGR implementations details where pertinent. We hope this tutorial will serve as a valuable resource for engineers and that researchers can also apply the insights presented here to topics in DTN research.Fil: Fraire, Juan Andres. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina. Universitat Saarland; AlemaniaFil: De Jonckère, Olivier. Technische Universität Dresden; AlemaniaFil: Burleigh, Scott C.. California Institute of Technology; Estados Unido

On route table computation strategies in Delay-Tolerant Satellite Networks

Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) has been proposed for satellite networks with no expectation of continuous or instantaneous end-to-end connectivity, which are known as Delay-Tolerant Satellite Networks (DTSNs). Path computation over large and highly-dynamic yet predictable topologies of such networks requires complex algorithms such as Contact Graph Routing (CGR) to calculate route tables, which can become extremely large and limit forwarding performance if all possible routes are considered. In this work, we discuss these issues in the context of CGR and propose alternatives to the existing route computation scheme: first-ending, first-depleted, one-route, and per-neighbor strategies. Simulation results over realistic DTSN constellation scenarios show that network flow metrics and overall calculation effort can be significantly improved by adopting these novel route table computation strategies.Fil: Fraire, Juan Andres. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Madoery, Pablo Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Charif, Amir (EXT). Commissariat A Energie Atomique; FranciaFil: Finochietto, Jorge Manuel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados en Ingeniería y Tecnología; Argentin