Security Analysis of DTN Architecture and Bundle Protocol Specification for Space-Based Networks

A Delay-Tolerant Network (DTN) Architecture (Request for Comment, RFC-4838) and Bundle Protocol Specification, RFC-5050, have been proposed for space and terrestrial networks. Additional security specifications have been provided via the Bundle Security Specification (currently a work in progress as an Internet Research Task Force internet-draft) and, for link-layer protocols applicable to Space networks, the Licklider Transport Protocol Security Extensions. This document provides a security analysis of the current DTN RFCs and proposed security related internet drafts with a focus on space-based communication networks, which is a rather restricted subset of DTN networks. Note, the original focus and motivation of DTN work was for the Interplanetary Internet . This document does not address general store-and-forward network overlays, just the current work being done by the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) and the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Space Internetworking Services Area (SIS) - DTN working group under the DTN and Bundle umbrellas. However, much of the analysis is relevant to general store-and-forward overlays

A Novel Approach to Transport-Layer Security for Spacecraft Constellations

Spacecraft constellations seek to provide transformational services from increased environmental awareness to reduced-latency international finance. This connected future requires trusted communications. Transport-layer security models presume link characteristics and encapsulation techniques that may not be sustainable in a networked constellation. Emerging transport layer protocols for space communications enable new transport security protocols that may provide a pragmatic alternative to deploying Internet security mechanisms in space. The Bundle Protocol (BP) and Bundle Protocol Security (BPSec) protocol have been designed to provide such an alternative. BP is a store-and-forward alternative to IP that carries session information as secondary headers. BPSec uses BP’s featureful secondary header mechanism to hold security information and security results. In doing so, BPSec provides an in-packet augmentation alternative to security by encapsulation. BPSec enables features such as security-at-rest, separate encryption/signing of individual protocol headers, and the ability to add secondary headers and secure them at waypoints in the network. These features provided by BPSec change the system trades associated with networked constellations. They enable security at rest, secure content caching, and deeper inspection at gateways otherwise obscured by tunneling

CoAP over BP for a Delay-Tolerant Internet of Things

International audienceWith the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) a myriad of new devices will become part of our everyday life. Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), and its extensions, are specifically designed to address the integration of these constrained devices. However, due to their limited resources, they are often unable to be fully connected and instead form intermittently connected and sparse networks in which Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is more appropriate, in particular through the Bundle Protocol (BP). This paper addresses the implementation of a BP binding for CoAP as a means to enable Delay Tolerant IoT. After an overview of CoAP and BP, we present a basic implementation of CoAP/BP that we developed and some first experimentation results that validate the feasibility of the approach. Several leads are then explored regarding ways to take advantage of the BP features in order to achieve an optimized CoAP/BP implementation

Softwarecast : a code-based delivery Manycast scheme in heterogeneous and Opportunistic Ad Hoc Networks

In the context of Opportunistic Ad Hoc Networking paradigms, group communication schemes (Manycast) are difficult to conduct. In this article, we propose a general delivery scheme for Manycast group communications based on mobile code. Our proposal extends network addressing by moving from the static header field paradigm to a software code-based addressing scheme. We allow messages to be delivered using built-in software codes that consider application-defined, context-aware or history-based information. Additionally, we allow messages to carry a delivery state that permits them to perform refined delivery-decision-making methods. As a consequence of this scheme, we have found that new group communication schemes, besides the traditional ones, may be beneficial to improve the network performance and to provide new functionalities to emerging scenarios like intermittently connected networks of heterogeneous physical objects. We present an application of this scheme to solve, following an analytical delivery method, the problem of sending a message to k and only k nodes of a heterogeneous and opportunistic network scenario that fit best a given criterion. We show, using simulations, that our proposal performs better than traditional approaches. Finally, to show that our proposal is feasible, we present an implementation of our proposal in a real Opportunistic Ad Hoc network, a DTN network, compatible with the de facto standard Bundle Protocol

A Message Transfer Framework for Enhanced Reliability in Delay-and Disruption-Tolerant Networks

Many infrastructure-less networks require quick, ad hoc deployment and the ability to deliver messages even if no instantaneous end-to-end path can be found. Such networks include large-scale disaster recovery networks, mobile sensor networks for ecological monitoring, ocean sensor networks, people networks, vehicular networks and projects for connectivity in developing regions such as TIER (Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions). These types of networks can be realized with delay-and disruption-tolerant network (DTN) technology. Generally, messages in DTNs are transferred hop-by-hop toward the destination in an overlay above the transport layer called the ''bundle layer''. Unlike mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), DTNs can tolerate disruption on end-to-end paths by taking advantage of temporal links emerging between nodes as nodes move in the network. Intermediate nodes store messages before forwarding opportunities become available. A series of encounters (i.e., coming within mutual transmission range) among different nodes will eventually deliver the message to the desired destination. The message delivery performance (such as delivery ratio and delay) in a DTN highly depends on time elapsed between encounters (inter-contact time) and the time two nodes remain in each others communication range once a contact is established (contact-duration). As messages are forwarded opportunistically among nodes, it is important to have sufficient contact opportunities in the network for faster, more reliable delivery of messages. In this thesis, we propose a simple yet efficient method for increasing DTN performance by increasing the contact duration of encountered nodes (i.e., mobile devices). Our proposed sticky transfer framework and protocol enable nodes in DTNs to collect neighbors' information, evaluate their movement patterns and amounts of data to transfer in order to make decisions of whether to ''stick'' with a neighbor to complete the necessary data transfers. Nodes intelligently negotiate sticky transfer parameters such as stick duration, mobility speed and movement directions based on user preferences and collected information. The sticky transfer framework can be combined with any DTN routing protocol to improve its performance. Our simulation results show that the proposed framework can improve the message delivery ratio by up to 38% and the end-to-end message transfer delay by up to 36%

Ereignisbasierte Software-Architektur für Verzögerungs- und Unterbrechungstolerante Netze

Continuous end-to-end connectivity is not available all the time, not even in wired networks. Delay- and Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) allows devices to communicate even if there is no continuous path to the destination by replacing the end-to-end semantics with a hop-by-hop store-carry-and-forward approach. Since existing implementations of DTN software suffer from various limitations, this work presents the event-driven software architecture of IBR-DTN, a lean, lightweight, and extensible implementation of a networking stack for Delay- and Disruption-Tolerant Networking. In a comprehensive description of the architecture and the underlying design decisions, this work focuses on eliminating weaknesses of the Bundle Protocol (RFC 5050). One of these is the dependency on synchronized clocks. Thus, this work takes a closer look on that requirement and presents approaches to bypass that dependency for some cases. For scenarios which require synchronized clocks, an approach is presented to distribute time information which is used to adjust the individual clock of nodes. To compare the accuracy of time information provided by each node, this approach introduces a clock rating. Additionally, a self-aligning algorithm is used to automatically adjust the node's clock rating parameters according to the estimated accuracy of the node's clock. In an evaluation, the general portability of the bundle node software is proven by porting it to various systems. Further, a performance analysis compares the new implementation with existing software. To perform an evaluation of the time-synchronization algorithm, the ONE simulator is modified to provide individual clocks with randomized clock errors for every node. Additionally, a specialized testbed, called Hydra, is being developed to test the implementation of the time-synchronization approach in real software. Hydra instantiates virtualized nodes running a complete operating system and provides a way to test real software in large DTN scenarios. Both the simulation and the emulation in Hydra show that the algorithm for time-synchronization can provide an adequate accuracy depending on the inter-contact times.Eine kontinuierliche Ende-zu-Ende-Konnektivität ist nicht immer verfügbar, nicht einmal in drahtgebundenen Netzen. Verzögerungs- und unterbrechungstolerante Kommunikation (DTN) ersetzt die Ende-zu-Ende-Semantik mit einem Hop-by-Hop Store-Carry-and-Forward Ansatz und erlaubt es so Geräten miteinander zu kommunizieren, auch wenn es keinen kontinuierlichen Pfad gibt. Da bestehende DTN Implementierungen unter verschiedenen Einschränkungen leiden, stellt diese Arbeit die ereignisgesteuerte Software-Architektur von IBR-DTN, eine schlanke, leichte und erweiterbare Implementierung eines Netzwerk-Stacks für Verzögerungs- und unterbrechungstolerante Netze vor. In einer umfassenden Beschreibung der Architektur und den zugrunde liegenden Design-Entscheidungen, konzentriert sich diese Arbeit auf die Beseitigung von Schwächen des Bundle Protocols (RFC 5050). Eine davon ist die Abhängigkeit zu synchronisierten Uhren. Daher wirft diese Arbeit einen genaueren Blick auf diese Anforderung und präsentiert Ansätze, um diese Abhängigkeit in einigen Fällen zu umgehen. Für Szenarien die synchronisierte Uhren voraussetzen wird außerdem ein Ansatz vorgestellt, um die Uhren der einzelnen Knoten mit Hilfe von verteilten Zeitinformationen zu korrigieren. Um die Genauigkeit der Zeitinformationen von jedem Knoten vergleichen zu können, wird eine Bewertung der Uhren eingeführt. Zusätzlich wird ein Algorithmus vorgestellt, der die Parameter der Bewertung in Abhängigkeit von der ermittelten Genauigkeit der lokalen Uhr anpasst. In einer Evaluation wird die allgemeine Portabilität der Software zu verschiedenen Systemen gezeigt. Ferner wird bei einer Performance-Analyse die neue Software mit existierenden Implementierungen verglichen. Um eine Evaluation des Zeitsynchronisationsalgorithmus durchzuführen, wird der ONE Simlator so angepasst, dass jeder Knoten eine individuelle Uhr mit zufälligem Fehler besitzt. Außerdem wird eine spezielle Testumgebung namens Hydra vorgestellt um eine echte Implementierung des Zeitsynchronisationsalgorithmus zu testen. Hydra instanziiert virtualisierte Knoten mit einem kompletten Betriebssystem und bietet die Möglichkeit echte Software in großen DTN Szenarien zu testen. Sowohl die Simulation als auch die Emulation in Hydra zeigen, dass der Algorithmus für die Zeitsynchronisation eine ausreichende Genauigkeit in Abhängigkeit von Kontakthäufigkeit erreicht