Research On Software-Defined Satellite Network Architecture

Satellite network has become an important component of modern communication networks because of its numerous advantage. However the traditional satellite network has a higher demand on handling and exchange technology, which leading to a high cost and consumption on satellite network. Furthermore the topology of satellite network changes frequently make its routing algorithm unstable. So the traditional transmission technology suffers a big challenge.Therefore, this thesis proposes an architecture called software-defined satellite network(SDSN) to solve the shortcomings of traditional satellite network by using the SDN core technology in traditional satellite network. SDN make satellite’s data plane and control plane separation, which solving the malpractice of satellite node design complexity, high cost because that satellite only need implement a simple satellite transponder functions and hardware configuration. The whole network route calculation, configuration and resource management issues generated by the controller. These method not only reduce the burden on satellite nodes, but also facilitate global management. Through centralized management, SDSN architecture can optimization the routing table in real-time and deploy fine-grained management strategy to achieve a more flexible communication and protocol configuration. In addition, in the software-based satellite network satellite node will has no difference with other nodes so that the difference from the different networks can be modular, which make multiple networks integrate easier.This thesis analysis and study the existing satellite network architecture. Then present two different software-defined satellite network architecture: single-layer satellite single-layer controller architecture and single-layer satellite multi-layer controller architecture. After that we defined architecture and interaction design in detail. According to the characteristics of the satellite network interactive, we designed packet format. While we studied some existing satellite network routing algorithm and apply the Snap Shot Sequence algorithm on single-layer multi-controller architecture. In order to fix the weakness of the Snap Shot Sequence algorithm, we proposed a satellite network routing algorithm based on link existent time.We implemented two architectures model mentioned above on OPNET network simulation platform. In model, it designed controllers, switch and user nodes suitable for software-defined satellite network, and the packet format between different nodes. Then we tested and compared two architectures. Finally, the Snap Shot Sequence algorithm and the routing algorithm based on satellite network link survival time are implemented in the single-layer multi-controller architectures and compared with each other.