Innovative DAMA algorithm for multimedia DVB-RCS system

Abstract

Satellite is often used as an access network in the Next Generation Networks landscape, where multimedia and real-time services are supported by return channels. However, these satellite return channels are a very limited resource with many terminal stations competing for its use, making its efficient assignation one of the key problems to solve in order to increase network performance. This article presents an innovative implementation of the resource allocation mechanism demand assigned multiple access (DAMA) applied to satellite return channel assignment, which provides support for dynamic allocation and quality-of-service. This resource allocation mechanism has been validated with the special purpose advanced Internet network emulator, using the test lab implementation to optimize traffic mapping and queue parameters directly in the field. The numerical results for the different test cases considered are presented, showing that the DAMA algorithm provided is an efficient way of assigning resources, and also helping in the comparison of the different capacity request mechanisms described in the standard.

Overall Design of Satellite Networks for Internet Services with QoS Support

“…To design and evaluate the whole satellite network guaranteeing the QoS, it is necessary that the design of link and network layers in the satellite network precedes [1,11,13,23]. In this section, we first address our customized design of the link and the network layers in the satellite network based on the DVB-RCS system, which is a widely-used satellite system [11,12,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. We also suggest the QoS architecture for the satellite network and discuss the other considerations to provide the QoS support in the satellite network.…”

“…Thus, the fixed frequency band is not allocated to all UTs [11,12,25]. In the proposed design, all UTs initially execute the log-on process, and the DAMA with the MF-TDMA is used for the resource allocation to transfer data [29,31]. In the log-on process, the UT sends the log-on request message to the NMS via the LOC.…”

“…In the resource allocation for the efficient frequency usage and the QoS support, a continuous resource assignment (CRA), a rate-based dynamic capacity (RBDC), and a volume-based dynamic capacity (VBDC) are used [28][29][30][31]. In the VBDC, there are resource allocation delay including the propagation delay in the satellite link, the transmission of resource allocation request/response, the processing time for resource allocation in the NCC, and the generation of the MF-TDMA frame in UTs [28][29][30][31]. The NCC calculates the resource allocation from request messages of UTs during the super-frame and transmits the response message to each UT in the next super-frame to use resources efficiently.…”

“…The priority and characteristic for services should be then reflected in the scheduling and the resource allocation in the link and the network layers. For example, the resource for delay-sensitive services such as VoIP and video streaming services should be allocated by the CRA and the RBDC to minimize the delay [23,29,31]. Generally, the definition of the QoS class is different with each layer.…”

“…This information is forwarded to the NCC and UTs. In the NCC and UTs for the QoS support, this information is used in the DAMA controller, the DAMA agent, and schedulers [1,23,[29][30][31]. The data rate in the UT is limited by the policer in UTs to prevent the traffic congestion because the maximum data rate can be changed according to the type of terminal.…”