Network coding and satellites
draft-kuhn-nwcrg-network-coding-satellites-00

Abstract

This memo presents the current deployment of network coding in some satellite telecommunications systems along with a discussion on the multiple opportunities to introduce these technics at a wider scale.

Status of This Memo

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Copyright Notice

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Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 1.1. Glossary
• 1.2. Requirements Language
• 2. A note on satellite topology
• 2.1. Generic description of multi-gateway satellite networks
• 2.2. Focus on satellite gateway description
• 3. Status of network coding in actually deployed satellite systems
• 4. Opportunities for more network coding in satellite systems
• 5. Deployability and related use cases
• 5.1. Network coding and VNF
• 5.2. Network coding and PEP
• 6. Acknowledgements
• 7. Contributors
• 8. IANA Considerations
• 9. Security Considerations
• 10. References
• 10.1. Normative References
• 10.2. Informative References
• Authors' Addresses

1. Introduction

Network coding schemes are inherent part of the satellite systems, since the challenging physical layer require specific robustness to guarantee an efficient usage of the expensive radio resource. Further exploiting these schemes is an opportunity for a better end user experience along with a better exploitation of the scarce resource.

In this context, this memo aims at:

• summing up the current deployment of network coding schemes;
• identifying opportunities for further usage of network coding in satellite systems.

1.1. Glossary

The glossary of this memo is related to the network coding taxonomy document [I-D.irtf-nwcrg-network-coding-taxonomy].

The glossary is extended as follows:

• XX: XX

1.2. Requirements Language

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

2. A note on satellite topology

The objective of this section of to provide a generic description of the components composing a generic satellite system and their interaction.

2.1. Generic description of multi-gateway satellite networks

This subsection presents a high level description of a multi-gateway satellite network.

2.2. Focus on satellite gateway description

This subsection focuses on the description of the functions that take place in a generic satellite gateway.

3. Status of network coding in actually deployed satellite systems

Figure 1 presents the status of the network coding deployment in satellite systems. The information is based on the taxonomy document [I-D.irtf-nwcrg-network-coding-taxonomy] and the notations are the following: End-to-End Coding (E2E), Network Coding (NC), Intra-Flow Coding (IntraF), Inter-Flow Coding (InterF), Single-Path Coding (SP) and Multi-Path Coding (MP).

+------+-------+---------+---------------+-------+
+      | Upper | Middle  | Communication layers  |
+      | Appl. | ware    |                       |
+      +-------+---------+---------------+-------+
|      |Source | Network | Packetization | PHY   |
|      |coding | AL-FEC  | UDP/IP        | layer |
+------+-------+---------+---------------+-------+
|E2E   |   x   |         |               |       |
|NC    |       |         |               |   x   |
|IntraF|       |         |               |       |
|InterF|       |         |               |       |
|SP    |       |         |               |       |
|MP    |       |         |               |       |
+------+-------+---------+---------------+-------+
	

Figure 1: Network coding and satellite systems

4. Opportunities for more network coding in satellite systems

This section extends Section 3 by presenting the opportunities for more network coding in satellite systems.

.

5. Deployability and related use cases

This section details use-cases where the usage of network coding schemes could improve the overall system and the deployability of the opportunities that are provided in Section 4.

5.1. Network coding and VNF

Related to the foreseen virtualized network infrastructure, the network coding schemes could be proposed as VNF and their deployability enhanced.

5.2. Network coding and PEP

Related to the impact and integration of network coding in Proxy-Enhanced-Proxy RFC 3135 architecture. In particular how network coding can be integrated inside a PEP with QoS scheduler as defined, for instance, in RFC 5865.

6. Acknowledgements

7. Contributors

Many thanks to

8. IANA Considerations

This memo includes no request to IANA.

9. Security Considerations

This document, by itself, presents no new privacy nor security issues.

10. References

10.1. Normative References

10.2. Informative References

Authors' Addresses