When should I use network emulation ?

The design and development of a complex system requires an adequate methodology and efficient instrumental support in order to early detect and correct anomalies in the functional and non-functional properties of the tested protocols. Among the various tools used to provide experimental support for such developments, network emulation relies on real-time production of impairments on real traffic according to a communication model, either realistically or not. This paper aims at simply presenting to newcomers in network emulation (students, engineers, ...) basic principles and practices illustrated with a few commonly used tools. The motivation behind is to fill a gap in terms of introductory and pragmatic papers in this domain. The study particularly considers centralized approaches, allowing cheap and easy implementation in the context of research labs or industrial developments. In addition, an architectural model for emulation systems is proposed, defining three complementary levels, namely hardware, impairment and model levels. With the help of this architectural framework, various existing tools are situated and described. Various approaches for modeling the emulation actions are studied, such as impairment-based scenarios and virtual architectures, real-time discrete simulation and trace-based systems. Those modeling approaches are described and compared in terms of services and we study their ability to respond to various designer needs to assess when emulation is needed

When Should I Use Network Emulation?

The design and development of a complex system requires an adequate methodology and efficient instrumental support in order to early detect and correct anomalies in the functional and non-functional properties of the tested protocols. Among the various tools used to provide experimental support for such developments, network emulation relies on real-time production of impairments on real traffic according to a communication model, either realistically or not. This paper aims at simply presenting to newcomers in network emulation (students, engineers, ...) basic principles and practices illustrated with a few commonly used tools. The motivation behind is to fill a gap in terms of introductory and pragmatic papers in this domain. The study particularly considers centralized approaches, allowing cheap and easy implementation in the context of research labs or industrial developments. In addition, an architectural model for emulation systems is proposed, defining three complementary levels, namely hardware, impairment and model levels. With the help of this architectural framework, various existing tools are situated and described. Various approaches for modeling the emulation actions are studied, such as impairment-based scenarios and virtual architectures, real-time discrete simulation and trace-based systems. Those modeling approaches are described and compared in terms of services and we study their ability to respond to various designer needs to assess when emulation is needed

Analytical and experimental stability investigation of a hardware-in-the-loop satellite docking simulator

The European Proximity Operation Simulator (EPOS) of the DLR-German Aerospace Center is a robotics-based simulator that aims at validating and verifying a satellite docking phase. The generic concept features a robotics tracking system working in closed loop with a force/torque feedback signal. Inherent delays in the tracking system combined with typical high stiffness at contact challenge the stability of the closed-loop system. The proposed concept of operations is hybrid: the feedback signal is a superposition of a measured value and of a virtual value that can be tuned in order to guarantee a desired behavior. This paper is concerned with an analytical study of the system's closed-loop stability, and with an experimental validation of the hybrid concept of operations in one dimension (1D). The robotics simulator is modeled as a second-order loop-delay system and closed-form expressions for the critical delay and associated frequency are derived as a function of the satellites' mass and the contact dynamics stiffness and damping parameters. A numerical illustration sheds light on the impact of the parameters on the stability regions. A first-order Pade approximation provides additional means of stability investigation. Experiments were performed and tests results are described for varying values of the mass and the damping coefficients. The empirical determination of instability is based on the coefficient of restitution and on the observed energy. There is a very good agreement between the critical damping values predicted by the analysis and observed during the tests...Comment: 16 page

W-NINE: a two-stage emulation platform for mobile and wireless systems

More and more applications and protocols are now running on wireless networks. Testing the implementation of such applications and protocols is a real challenge as the position of the mobile terminals and environmental effects strongly affect the overall performance. Network emulation is often perceived as a good trade-off between experiments on operational wireless networks and discrete-event simulations on Opnet or ns-2. However, ensuring repeatability and realism in network emulation while taking into account mobility in a wireless environment is very difficult. This paper proposes a network emulation platform, called W-NINE, based on off-line computations preceding online pattern-based traffic shaping. The underlying concepts of repeatability, dynamicity, accuracy and realism are defined in the emulation context. Two different simple case studies illustrate the validity of our approach with respect to these concepts

Contributions to simulation and emulation of Inter-Satellite Links

Recently, there has been a paradigm shift in space missions. They no longer rely on a single satellite to achieve all the objectives of a mission. Responsibility is shared between devices that can communicate and share resources to achieve these objectives. This paradigm shift has increased the need to assess communication performance within FSS. Despite proposals for simulators and emulators to achieve this goal, none of them integrates the dynamics of satellites with their communications. This thesis presents two proposals and the implementation of one of them to extend the capabilities of the communication channel of the simulator developed by the NanoSat Lab of the UPC. Additionally, following the lines of the i2Cat Space Communications research group, a test bench is also presented to demonstrate the feasibility of a satellite contact emulator. As it will be demonstrated, developing such an emulator has not been possible. Finally, it is concluded that both parts of this thesis may converge. Thus, combining the possibilities offered by the current simulator with those available in the emulator under development.En el transcurso de los últimos años se ha observado un cambio en el paradigma en las misiones espaciales. Éstas ya no cuentan sólo con un único satélite que tenga que alcanzar todos los objetivos de una misión. Se reparte la responsabilidad entre diferentes dispositivos que son capaces de comunicarse y compartir recursos para alcanzar tales objetivos. De ese cambio de paradigma nace la necesidad de poder evaluar el comportamiento de las comunicaciones dentro de un FSS. A pesar de la existencia de simuladores y propuestas de emuladores para alcanzar tal objetivo, ninguno de ellos integra las dinámicas de los satélites con sus comunicaciones. En esta tesis, se presentan dos propuestas y la implementación de una de ellas para ampliar las capacidades del canal de comunicaciones del simulador desarrollado por NanoSat Lab de la UPC. Además, siguiendo las líneas del grupo de investigación de Comunicaciones Espaciales de i2Cat también se presenta un test-bed para demostrar la viabilidad de un emulador de contactos de satélites. Pues, como se va a demostrar, el desarrollador de uno como tal no ha sido posible. Por último, se concluirá que ambas partes de esta tesis puedan converger en algún momento combinando así las posibilidades que ofrece el actual simulador con las de un emulador que está en desarrollo.En el transcurs dels últims anys s’ha observat un canvi en el paradigma de les missions espacials. Aquestes ja no compten només d’un únic satèl·lit que hagi d’assolir tots els objectius d’una missió. Es reparteix la responsabilitat entre diferents dispositius els quals són capaços de comunicar-se i compartir recursos per tal d’assolir tals objectius. D’aquest canvi de paradigma neix la necessitat de poder avaluar el comportament de les comunicacions dins d’un FSS. Tot i l’existència de simuladors i propostes d’emuladors per assolir tal objectiu, cap d’ells integra les dinàmiques dels satèl·lits amb les seves comunicacions. En aquesta tesi, es presenten dues propostes i la implementació d’una d’elles per tal d’ampliar les capacitats del canal de comunicacions del simulador desenvolupat pel NanoSat Lab de la UPC. A més a més, seguint les línies del grup de recerca de Comunicacions Espacials d'i2Cat també es presenta un test-bed per tal de poder demostrar la viabilitat d’un emulador de contactes de satèl·lits. Doncs, com es demostrarà, el desenvolupant d’un com a tal no ha estat possible. Finalment, es conclourà que ambdues parts d'aquesta tesi puguin convergir en algun moment combinant així les possibilitat que ofereix l'actual simulador amb les d’un emulador que està en desenvolupamen

Towards the deployment of software defined networks over satellites - an in-laboratory demonstration for GEO satellite services

Traditional satellite communications missions are based on artificial satellites that can communicate with ground stations. This type of network provides wide-area coverage as well as resilient communications. Satellite systems are expected to be merged with the introduction of 5G/6G mobile systems to offer seamless connection and ubiquitous coverage for users worldwide. SDN/NFV are two of the most important enabling technologies for deploying new 5G/6G mobile network architectures, and they are widely used in telecommunications to deliver different services. Its method is based on network softwarization, which abstracts the physical infrastructure by separating the functionality of the hardware. Furthermore, using SDN, it is possible to reconfigure the network in flexible topologies that adapt to the performance necessary at any given time, thereby maximizing resources and lowering costs. SDN/NFV, on the other hand, relies on a strong and continuous network layer to construct a control plane and deploy VNF. However, establishing a stable link is difficult in constellations of several LEO/MEO satellites. TALENT is a software platform created with the purpose of supplying satellite and ground connection by coordinating satellite and terrestrial systems from a single location, developed under the SaTG5 project that defined the integration of satellite solutions for 5G. Regardless of these solutions, a robust testbed is required to help in the discovery of novel protocols for delivering and orchestrating network services over satellite networks that take dynamic network architecture on satellite constellations into account. This thesis addresses the lack of a testbed for deploying VNF via a satellite network, as well as the orchestration and deployment of VNF across various satellite constellations. Its main contribution is an update to TALENT to allow it to work with newer Open Source MANO versions, and a testbed for deploying a VNF across a simulated satellite network based on the OpenSand satellite simulation tool.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructur

Six-DOF Spacecraft Dynamics Simulator For Testing Translation and Attitude Control

This paper presents a method to control a manipulator system grasping a rigid-body payload so that the motion of the combined system in consequence of externally applied forces to be the same as another free-floating rigid-body (with different inertial properties). This allows zero-g emulation of a scaled spacecraft prototype under the test in a 1-g laboratory environment. The controller consisting of motion feedback and force/moment feedback adjusts the motion of the test spacecraft so as to match that of the flight spacecraft, even if the latter has flexible appendages (such as solar panels) and the former is rigid. The stability of the overall system is analytically investigated, and the results show that the system remains stable provided that the inertial properties of two spacecraft are different and that an upperbound on the norm of the inertia ratio of the payload to manipulator is respected. Important practical issues such as calibration and sensitivity analysis to sensor noise and quantization are also presented

Les défis de l'émulation Wi-Fi à base des traces

Wi-Fi link is unpredictable and it has never been easy to measure it perfectly; there is always bound to be some bias. As wireless becomes the medium of choice, it is useful to capture Wi-Fi traces in order to evaluate, tune, and adapt the different applications and protocols. Several methods have been used for the purpose of experimenting with different wireless conditions: simulation, experimentation, and trace-driven emulation. In this paper, we argue that trace-driven emulation is the most favourable approach. In the absence of a trace-driven emulation tool for Wi-Fi, we evaluate the state-of-the-art trace driven emulation tool for Cellular networks and we identify issues for Wi-Fi: interference with concurrent traffic, interference with its own traffic if measurements are done on both uplink and downlink simultaneously , and packet loss. We provide a solid argument as to why this tool falls short from effectively capturing Wi-Fi traces. The outcome of our analysis guides us to propose a number of suggestions on how the existing tool can be tweaked to accurately capture Wi-Fi traces.La liaison Wi-Fi est imprévisible et il n'a jamais été facile de la mesurer parfaitement ; il y a toujours un risque de biais. Comme le sans fil devient le moyen de communication de choix, il est utile de capturer les traces Wi-Fi afin d'évaluer, de régler et d'adapter les différentes applications et protocoles. Plusieurs méthodes ont été utilisées pour expérimenter différentes conditions sans fil : la simulation, l'expérimentation et l'émulation de traces. Dans cet article, nous soutenons que l'émulation pilotée par les traces est l'approche la plus favorable. En l'absence d'un outil d'émulation piloté par trace pour le Wi-Fi, nous évaluons l'outil d'émulation piloté par trace de pointe pour les réseaux cellulaires et nous identifions les problèmes pour le Wi-Fi : interférence avec le trafic concurrent, interférence avec son propre trafic si les mesures sont effectuées simultanément sur la liaison montante et la liaison descendante, et perte de paquets. Nous fournissons un argument solide pour expliquer pourquoi cet outil ne parvient pas à capturer efficacement les traces Wi-Fi. Le résultat de notre analyse nous guide pour proposer un certain nombre de suggestions sur la manière dont l'outil existant peut être modifié pour capturer avec précision les traces Wi-Fi