ECPE 6504: Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing Individual Project Report An In-Depth Design Guide to Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) over Satellite Communication Networks

2 This paper discusses in depth the issues in using satellite links as the physical media for ATM internetworking and uses it to build a design guide for implementation of ATM over satellite networks. The challenge here is to provide ATM, a connection-oriented protocol developed specifically for a reliable high-bandwidth wired infrastructure, along with its QoS guarantees, for mobile networks, which are characterized by frequent breaks and makes of connections over a shared, unreliable and limited-bandwidth wireless medium. A successful implementation of ATM inter-networks depends upon the Bit Error Rate (BER) of the underlying physical layer. ATM was originally designed for links with low BER like fiber. In the case of satellite links, the error rate is orders of magnitude higher. The bursty nature of the error in satellite links also poses a big problem. This paper will systematically deal with such major issues of Satellite ATMs (SATATM) and their implementation. A set of motivation examples or scenarios for SATATM networks will be discussed. This will be used to compile a host of design issues and the various options available for the same and hence can be used as a theoretical design guide for future ATM over satellite implementations. The paper is arranged as follows. After a brief introduction to ATM, Satellite communications and Wireless ATM (WATM), motivating network architectures, which has a great diversity of requirements, are presented. The need for SATATMs in those particular situations is emphasized. After this, requirements for SATATMs like handoff (inter-satellite, inter-beam), error control mechanisms, architectural options, cost-performance tradeoffs are discussed. The section following this would handle how satellite communications should be optimized to provide other requirements and ATM specific behaviors like service guarantees (ABR, CBR etc.,), congestion control, and AAL issues. The section also deals with routing in SATATMs, MAC protocols for satellite communications, optimizations needed to use TCP over SATATMs and IPV6 over SATATMs. All the above issues would be analyzed and correlated with the motivating architectures given in the preceding sections. The section will also explain some practical SATATM products available in the market and their features. The paper will end with a section on conclusions, summarizing all the ideas presented and comments about the whole concept of SATATMs. The conclusions section would summarize the ideas presented and will present design solutions for the implementation of the motivation scenarios and also will discuss related issues and tradeoffs for the solutions. The …