Mechanisms for Differentiating End-to-End Loss Due to Channel Corruption and Network Congestion

摘要

This report describes a joint experimental effort by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the NASA Glenn Research Center to evaluate standard protocol performance over satellite communication links. The experiment team established a test configuration at the NRL to better understand available mechanisms for the intelligent notification of loss due to channel errors as opposed to loss due to congestion. Several experimental protocol projects that were evaluating error and congestion performance were invited to participate in live satellite tests in the newly created test facility. The experiments discussed ran from March to June of 2000, using the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and a pair of ACTS Ultra Small Aperture Ka-Band Terminals. During this period, tests were conducted by New Mexico State University on the Space Communications Protocol Standard (SCPS) and by Georgia Tech on a TCP variant known as TCP Peach. The Principal Investigators from those two projects were given access to the NRL test facility via remote access and conducted their protocol experiments themselves. Results of those tests are presented herein. The ACTS spacecraft was decommissioned in May of 2000 and the experiment has been transitioned to Loral Skynet's Telstar II Ku-Band spacecraft, where it continues to the present day. Current areas of investigation are presented at the conclusion of this document.