Innovative DAMA algorithm for multimedia DVB-RCS system

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.