On the virtualization and dynamic orchestration of satellite communication services

Key features of satellite communications such as wide-scale coverage, broadcast/multicast support and high availability, together with significant amounts of new satellite capacity coming online, anticipate new opportunities for satellite communications services as an integral part within upcoming 5G systems. To materialize these opportunities, satellite communications services have to be provisioned and operated in a more flexible, agile and cost-effective manner than done today. In this context, this paper describes a solution for the virtualization and dynamic orchestration of satellite communication services that builds on the introduction of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technologies within the satellite ground segment systems. Along with the description of the main system architecture traits, the flowchart of a general procedure for the dynamic instantiation of virtualized satellite networks on top of a SDN/NFV-enabled satellite ground segment system is provided. The paper also presents experimental results for the dynamic customization of satellite network services through the implementation of a set of virtualized satellite network functions that can be orchestrated over general purpose open virtual platforms.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Supporting unidirectional links in the Internet

this paper is to describe changes in these protocols to support such links. 2 The satellite-based architectur

Dynamic Routing in Networks with Unidirectional Links

Current routing protocols assume that routers are connected by bidirectional links. However, in an increasing number of configurations, pairs of routers may be connected by unidirectional links. Existing routing protocols do not work properly in such configuration. A particular example is GEO satellite links with receive-only hardware and a back channel through a bidirectional network. In this paper we present two approaches to allow dynamic routing in this configuration. One is based on routing protocol modification and the other on tunneling, both currently discussed within the IETF UDLR working group. More general examples include networks where several links can be unidirectional. Neither routing protocol modifications nor tunneling are applicable in such configuration. We have therefore designed a new protocol based on circuit discovery. We describe this protocol which allows dynamic routing in networks where all links are unidirectional

On the virtualization and dynamic orchestration of satellite communication services

Key features of satellite communications such as wide-scale coverage, broadcast/multicast support and high availability, together with significant amounts of new satellite capacity coming online, anticipate new opportunities for satellite communications services as an integral part within upcoming 5G systems. To materialize these opportunities, satellite communications services have to be provisioned and operated in a more flexible, agile and cost-effective manner than done today. In this context, this paper describes a solution for the virtualization and dynamic orchestration of satellite communication services that builds on the introduction of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technologies within the satellite ground segment systems. Along with the description of the main system architecture traits, the flowchart of a general procedure for the dynamic instantiation of virtualized satellite networks on top of a SDN/NFV-enabled satellite ground segment system is provided. The paper also presents experimental results for the dynamic customization of satellite network services through the implementation of a set of virtualized satellite network functions that can be orchestrated over general purpose open virtual platforms.Peer Reviewe